Two Mexican Nationals Charged In Coast Guardsman's Death

The killing of a U.S. Coast Guardsman whose crew was chasing a vessel suspected of being laden with drugs appears to be the latest example of how smugglers are venturing farther north in a game of cat-and-mouse along the California coast.

Two Mexican nationals — Jose Meija Leyva and Manuel Beltran Higuera — were charged Monday in Los Angeles with killing a federal officer while the officer was on duty.

Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne, 34, died Sunday after he was struck in the head by the suspect vessel near the Channel Islands, which are west of Los Angeles and about 180 miles northwest of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Related:

Coast Guardsman Killed In Confrontation with Smugglers