Thread: Boat drops 17 Cuban refugees off in Lee County this morning,

Boat drops 17 Cuban refugees off in Lee County this morning, flees

Charlotte Sun
Originally published 12:29 p.m., Thursday, November 27, 2008

Updated 12:29 p.m., Thursday, November 27, 2008

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/nov ... orning-fl/

BOCA GRANDE — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said today that 19 Cuban refugees landed on Gasparilla Island in north Lee County at 1:48 a.m. after swimming ashore.

The refugees, including eight women, were dropped offshore by the crew of a boat that had brought them from Cuba and told to swim for shore, authorities said.

The refugees were spotted as they walked in a group along Gulf Boulevard.

Lee sheriff’s deputies arrived and took them into custody, authorities said.

The refugees were cold and wet from their swim so deputies and Boca Grande firefighters helped them get warm and dry while they waited for federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take them into custody.

The ICE agents arrived at about 4 a.m. and loaded the refugees into two vans, authorities said.

The refugees were taken to Pembroke Pines near Miami for processing.

ICE officials will run background checks on them to determine if any of those taken into custody this morning have criminal records or are under deportation orders. They also will be given a routine health screening.

No incidents were reported during the arrest, sheriff’s personnel said.

Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies still are searching for the boat that dropped the refugees off, authorities said.

No incidents were reported during the arrest, sheriff’s personnel said.

Why should there be? There mission was a success the minute they touched American soil.

Silly me, I thought conspiring with a smuggler was a criminal act!