Manatee manhunt continues for occupants of van

By Halle Stockton


Published: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 11:14 p.m.

MANATEE COUNTY - Seven men suspected in a human smuggling operation eluded local and federal authorities during a five-hour search through woods in East Bradenton on Tuesday.

Two of those men -- who authorities said are likely responsible for facilitating the illegal immigration -- may be armed.

The manhunt resulted in afternoon lockdowns at five schools and nearby businesses.

It started about 11 a.m. Tuesday when a Border Patrol agent tried to pull over a minivan with eight Hispanic occupants near Interstate 75 and State Road 64.

The driver of the Dodge Grand Caravan led the agent on a 1-mile chase west on S.R. 64 until he clipped a truck turning right at 48th Street Court East, near a Mobil gas station. The truck driver was not injured, but the wreck disabled the van, which the group ditched before scattering into the nearby woods.

The keys were still in the van's ignition, and coats and sandals were left behind.

One of the occupants, a 19-year-old man, was tackled by authorities and sat in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection squad car throughout the afternoon.

He told investigators he had been in the United States for five days after being illegally transported from Mexico and had stayed in a "stash house" in Arizona, said Border Patrol Agent Steve McDonald.

McDonald did not yet know the group's planned destination.

Border Patrol was assisted by Bradenton police officers and the SWAT team; Manatee sheriff's deputies and the agency's helicopters; and officers from the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Wildlife Commission and Florida Department of Transportation.

Manatee, Wakeland and Bashaw elementary schools, Johnson Middle School and Horizons Academy were put on lockdown for two to three hours Tuesday afternoon because of the potential threat, said Schools spokeswoman Margi Nanney.

Authorities also advised the Publix grocery store near the S.R. 64 intersection to close for safety. The market locked its doors and kept customers inside for about 20 minutes "out of an abundance of precaution," said Publix spokeswoman Shannon Patten.

Johnnie Charles, who details cars at the Mobil gas station, witnessed the crash and tried to chase one of the men but was tripped up in the woods.

"I was worried, you know, because I saw two of them with handguns," he said. "Some were carrying sacks like full with clothes. I Haven't seen anything like it and I'm Haitian and lived in Miami." Charles said the men looked between the ages of 25 and 35, and a few were wearing red and blue jackets.

Agent McDonald said the Border Patrol routinely tracks suspicious vehicles on Interstate 75 for human trafficking.

Since 2004, the Border Patrol's investigations have led to the prosecution of 160 human smugglers using Interstate 75 in Florida, McDonald said.

"That tells you how prolific this activity is on Florida's highways," he said. "It's a big business, and it's a significant focus for Homeland Security."

The search ended about 4 p.m. Tuesday, but Border Patrol agents will continue to investigate and process the van for evidence, McDonald said.

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