18-foot runabout was discovered abandoned, adrift and empty off the beach.

The Log.com News: "Helicopters flooded Coronado streets with bright searchlights one recent night after an 18-foot runabout was discovered abandoned, adrift and empty off the beach.

More to Come -- While law enforcement personnel are capturing thousands of pounds of contraband smuggled into U.S. waters aboard small boats, authorities believe that what they see is only the tip of the iceberg.


Major Haul -- On Oct. 19, Coast Guard personnel retrieved 25 large bales of black plastic-wrapped marijuana weighing nearly 100 pounds each, dumped in the water from a speedboat they were following. The vessel escaped into Mexican waters.


Photo by: U.S. Coast Guard
Sign of the Times? -- Empty pangas like this one are being found more frequently, abandoned along San Diego County beaches.



The fact that the helicopters hovered, Border Patrol vehicles prowled city streets and drug-sniffing dogs were brought aboard the runabout told knowledgeable Coronado residents that the vessel pulled onto shore by a helpful resident Oct. 3 was likely used in a successful drug smuggling attempt."