Thread: Suspected illegals found off Jupiter Island

Suspected illegals found off Jupiter Island
By JILL TAYLOR

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, September 14, 2007

JUPITER ISLAND — A boat carrying up to 15 people stalled off Jupiter Island Friday morning, allowing the Martin County sheriff's office and the United States Coast Guard to intercept them before most could come ashore.

One man made it to Hobe Sound where he hitched a ride in a box truck, but a deputy stopped the truck and an alert for possible illegal immigrants was issued after the man admitted coming in on a boat.

One other man swam ashore and was caught near the Jupiter Island Beach Club.

It did not appear any of the immigrants, believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, was injured and no drugs or weapons were reported found.

The men on the boat and on shore were turned over to federal agents.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/ ... ugees.html

Immigrants captured after boat stalls
By JILL TAYLOR

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Saturday, September 15, 2007

JUPITER ISLAND — A 25-foot boat loaded with undocumented immigrants stalled off Jupiter Island on Friday morning, leaving 16 people stranded on the vessel while the captain and another man swam ashore.

Two more tried to swim in, but by that time Martin sheriff's deputies and Jupiter Island police were swarming the area near the Jupiter Island Beach Club by air, sea and land.

Both were caught and returned to the boat to await Coast Guard and Border Patrol officials.

Construction workers and boaters had noticed the boat was loaded with passengers wearing orange life jackets, but it wasn't called in as suspicious until a deputy already had found the captain in Hobe Sound, where he had hitched a ride in the back of a box truck near Dixie Highway and Pettway Street.

The hitchhiker, later identified as David Knowles, told deputies he had come ashore two days earlier and that three others had gotten away in a taxi.

Deputy Andrew Porcelli didn't believe him.

"He was soaking wet and had sand all over him," Sgt. Linda Miller said.

A few minutes later, the call came in about the boat, bobbing in the waves with apparent engine trouble.

As the sheriff's helicopter hovered overhead, deputies spotted a man trying to hide in bushes near the beach club. He was caught, and he and Knowles were turned over to Border Patrol after fire-rescue workers checked them.

Sixteen people were aboard the boat, Border Patrol agent Robert Swathwood said. None was injured and no drugs or weapons were found.

Swathwood said Knowles was reportedly from the Bahamas and the nationalities of the others were under investigation.

Some of the people aboard the boat told officials they left the Bahamas on Thursday night and were heading for Melbourne. They said they paid $1,000 each for passage.

Swathwood said this case is unusual in that authorities were able to seize the boat and catch the captain.

"Usually we don't catch the smuggler," he said.

Jupiter Island Police Chief Ted Gonzales questioned Knowles at the scene and was satisfied there were no more people in the water or hiding on shore. "We've got them all," he said.

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