United States Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III, 34, of Redondo Beach was killed in the line of duty early Sunday morning while pursuing a panga boat in Smugglers Cove near Santa Cruz Island. He died after hitting his head on the USCG inflatable boat’s propeller after it was rammed by the panga boat around 1:20 a.m. He was initially on patrol on “The Halibut,” an 87-foot cutter based in Marina del Rey when he was dispatched to pursue the panga boat in a rigid-hull inflatable boat.
Jose Meija-Leyva and Manuel Beltran-Higuera were subsequently taken into custody and charged with aiding and abetting in connection with the death of the USCG Officer.
The criminal complaint stated that the panga boat throttled its engines and steered towards the USCG boat, resulting in a collision and the death of Officer Horne.
Before the collision, when the USCG boat crew was approximately 20 yards from the panga boat, the crew turned on small blue flashing law enforcement lights and shouted to the individuals on the panga boat in English and Spanish. “Stop, police, put your hands up,” the report said.
The two crew members on the panga boat throttled the engines and steered toward the USCG boat, according to the report. Officer Michael Walker attempted to avoid the collision by steering the small boat out of the path of the panga while Officer Jonathan D’Arcy fired several shots from his weapon at the panga boat in an effort to deter the crew from ramming the USCG’s small boat.
“Despite Officer Walker’s and Officer D’Arcy’s efforts, the panga boat rammed into the USCG small boat, striking the USCG small boat’s front left quarter, and causing officers Langdon and Horne to be ejected from the USCG small boat into the water,” the report said.
The panga boat then drove past the Coast Guard’s boat and fled the scene.
During the incident, Officer Horne was struck by a propeller in the head and sustained a traumatic head injury. He was pronounced dead by paramedics. Officer Brandon Langdon sustained a laceration to his knee.
“The main USCG vessel followed the panga boat by water and by helicopter until it was intercepted at 5:05 a.m., 20 miles north of the US/Mexican border,” the report said.
The crew onboard the panga boat was given orders at gunpoint, which were not followed. The driver of the boat started the engine and began to flee multiple times, but was detained after the panga boat broke down. They were taken into custody after resisting and being pepper sprayed by the USCG.
Meija-Leyva and Beltran-Higuera were transported to San Pedro, California, where they were arrested and taken into custody by the Los Angeles Border Enforcement Security Task Force. They provided booking information and were determined to have entered the country illegally.
The captain of the boat, Mejia-Leyva, told officers that he was taking gasoline to some lost friends north of Los Angeles.
Beltran-Higuera said in Spanish that an unidentified young man approached him and offered to pay him $3,000 if he would transport a load of gasoline to an awaiting panga boat in the United States. According to Beltran-Higuera’s statement, when they arrived at the island to transfer the gasoline, the second boat never arrived and after waiting for 20 minutes they were detected by the Coast Guard. He further stated that he did not know whether the other panga boat they were waiting for would be carrying drugs or people.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III as he was performing his duties protecting the safety of our citizens last night,” Congresswoman Janice Hahn said in a statement. “Chief Petty Officer Horne’s service, dedication and sacrifice will never be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with CPO Horne’s family, friends and the men and women of the United States Coast Guard as they deal with this tragic loss.”
According to the “Officer Down Memorial Page,” he leaves behind an expectant wife and one child. To send condolences or obtain funeral arrangements, please call 202-372-2183. ER
