http://cbs4.com/local/honduras.stowaway ... 73795.html

Aug 23, 2010 9:26 am US/Eastern
Port Everglades Ship Searched For Stowaways
Reporting
John MacLauchlan
E-mail FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―

Border Patrol and law enforcement officers are combing a ship at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale looking a group of stowaways on a ship which arrived from Honduras.

Port spokeswoman Ellen Kennedy said agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection along with Broward Sheriff's deputies and the Coast Guard personnel are involved in the search. They believe the stowaways are still on the ship, owned by Crowley Marine Services, called the Elb Carrier.

Suspicions were raised around 5 a.m. Monday morning when a harbor pilot, who was guiding the ship into the port, noticed individuals on the ship who were not wearing the orange jumpsuits usually worn by the crew. When the men saw they the pilot was look at them, they ran, according to Kennedy.

Initially during the search, the stevedores were not allowed to off load containers. Around 8 p.m. they were given permission to begin work, border patrol agents thinking it would make it easier to find the stowaways by giving them fewer places to hide.

A perimeter has been set up around the area where the ship is docked.

Officials have not said how many stowaways they suspect are on the ship or if any escaped before they arrived.