Pubdate: Fri, 18 Apr 2014
Source: Tribune, The (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Copyright: 2014 The Tribune
Contact:  http://www.sanluisobispo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/391
Author: David Sneed

SHERIFF TO ASK SUPERVISORS FOR MONEY TO DEAL WITH DRUG-SMUGGLING PANGAS

New Defender Class Response Boat Would Be Used to Take Confiscated 
Panga Boats to Morro Bay for Disposal

During the past two years the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office 
has recovered 12 drug-smuggling panga boats that have landed along 
the North Coast, yet it does not have a way to safely and quickly 
remove the boats from the beach.

That's why it will ask county supervisors Tuesday to spend nearly 
$500,000 in federal grant funds to buy a new boat and other equipment 
to beef up the department's ability to deal with the persistent problem.

The bulk of the money - $342,813 - would be spent to buy a 27-foot 
Defender Class response boat that will be used primarily to refloat 
beached panga boats so that they can be taken to Morro Bay for 
disposal. Other equipment to be purchased with the grant money 
includes three mobile license plate readers, a thermal imaging 
camera, sensor kits and night-vision goggles.

"This equipment will aid and enhance the Sheriff's Office ability to 
detect and potentially prevent these landings along our coast," 
Parkinson said in staff report. "This not only has been a growing 
problem but more importantly poses a threat to our residents."

The $493,013 in purchases will be paid for with a grant from the 
federal Operation Stonegarden program, which is intended to promote 
cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies 
to increase border security.

The purchases are necessary because of a recent increase in landings 
of open-bow fishing boats, commonly called panga boats, to smuggle 
drugs ashore. Twelve panga boat landings were detected in the county 
between May 2012 and February 2014, with the most recent occurring Feb. 23.

Eleven of those landings resulted in the recovery of the panga boats, 
and 62 arrests were made for drug smuggling. Deputies recovered more 
than 10,000 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $8.8 million.

"Almost all of the suspects arrested are from the Los Angeles area, 
and some are believed to be Los Angeles area gang members," Parkinson said.

The increase in local panga boat landings is the result of a change 
of tactics by the smugglers. For the past two years, they have been 
traveling up to 150 miles out to sea before heading up the coast to 
isolated areas in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Although the Sheriff's Office works cooperatively with the Coast 
Guard and Department of Homeland Security to deal with the problem, 
some aspects of responding to panga boat incidents are the 
responsibility of the Sheriff's Office.

For example, the Coast Guard is not allowed to remove a boat once it 
has landed. The new boat will be used specifically to tow beached 
panga boats to Morro Bay.

"The Sheriff's Office has several boats; however, none of them are 
capable of getting in close to shore to assist with towing these 
panga boats off the beach and out of the surf line," Parkinson said.

The other equipment will be used to thwart the smuggling after the 
boats have landed. The mobile license plate readers will used to 
identify cars from the Los Angeles area that could be in the North 
Coast area to pick up drugs.

The thermal imager will help deputies find cars and people in open 
terrain. The sensor kits will alert law enforcement of vehicles 
entering areas closed to traffic in suspected landing and pickup 
areas. The night vision goggles will allow deputies to see during 
times of low light, which is when most panga boats land.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom