Coast Guard colleagues of Chief Horne face the cameras

Grieving members of the Coast Guard Cutter Halibut and other friends spoke to the media in Marina del Rey Monday about their late shipmate, Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne. He died early Sunday after being thrown into the sea near Santa Cruz Island when a panga carrying two suspected smugglers rammed his chase boat. He suffered head wounds from of the crafts' propellers.

This is video from KTLA; the report is by Cher Calvin at the desk and Elizabeth Espinosa in the field. (Web story.) The speakers include Lt. Stewart Silbert, commander of the Marina del Rey-based Halibut. LA Times account

The two suspected smugglers, Jose Mejia-Leyva and Manuel Beltra-Higuera, were arrested in their disabled boat about 20 miles from the Mexican border off San Diego County. The men, Mexican nationals, were charged with killing a federal officer and appeared Monday afternoon in a federal court in Los Angeles, where bail was denied.

Horne, who leaves a wife and daughter in Redondo Beach, was the first Coast Guard member killed during an operation against smugglers that officials could remember along the Southern California coast.