http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/18/D8IUJH9O1.html

8 Ecuadorean Stowaways Caught in Calif.
Jul 18 3:37 PM US/Eastern

PORT HUENEME, Calif.


Eight stowaways from Ecuador hid among bananas in a ship's cargo hold for as long as 10 days before they were discovered at the end of a voyage from South America, authorities said.

Three men were treated for dehydration and three others for frostbite after they were apprehended Monday, said Mike Fleming, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The men carried no documents. They were expected to be detained and then returned to Ecuador, Fleming said.

The eight apparently hid aboard the Malaga Carrier when it left Ecuador, officials said. It made stops in Colombia and Guatemala before arriving at Port Hueneme, northwest of Los Angeles.

Authorities got a tip Sunday that stowaways were aboard but found nothing when they searched the huge ship after it arrived in California.

Five of the men were spotted the next morning walking down the gangplank and told authorities they had hidden among the bananas in the cargo hold. During a search, three others walking on the deck were taken into custody.