1,062 pounds of marijuana found on boat

SAN DIEGO, July 27 (UPI) -- U.S. officials say they found a half ton of marijuana on a Mexican fishing boat they commandeered off the coast of southern California.

Three Mexican nationals were taken into police custody when U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities stopped a panga boat Saturday outside San Diego, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The panga, a watercraft usually used by Mexican fishermen, was reported to authorities by U.S. Coast Guard officials.

The 25-foot boat was traveling before dawn with no lights, agency spokesman Vince Bond said. Agents said they chased the boat for about five minutes before the driver stopped.

The law enforcement officers allegedly discovered 13 bales of marijuana weighing 1,062 pounds on the boat and the three men were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.