A Mexican national whose cabin cruiser full of illegal immigrants stalled out off of the San Clemente shoreline last year was sentenced this month to six and a half years for his crimes.
Jesus Quinones-Chavez, 57, of Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, was facing as many as 90 years in prison. Earlier this year, a jury deliberated five hours after a six-day trial before convicting him on nine counts of human smuggling.
The passengers were charged $7,000 to $12,000 to be brought into the country from Puerto Nuevo, Baja, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.
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In September 2012, the 24-foot Bayliner, which was headed to Newport Beach, ran out of gas 20 miles from Oceanside, ICE officials said. Quinones-Chavez reportedly threatened to shoot his seven passengers if they called police while waiting for help, according to the agency.
The boat was stranded at sea for a day before another vessel stopped and gave them fuel, according to authorities. The boat's engine, however, conked out and could not make it to Newport Beach, so after a rough landing near Cypress shore in San Clemente, they all got off.
A dispatcher at the California State Parks Service alerted U.S. Border Patrol agents in San Clemente of the beached cabin cruiser, who apprehended seven people, including Quinones, who were soaking wet and covered in sand. An eighth individual eluded arrest. One man was later taken to a local hospital, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
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