Indian River County - Monday March 18, 2024: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers (FWC) who stopped a power boat full of Haitian migrants also found drugs and guns aboard the vessel.
According to a news release issued Friday by FWC, two officers were conducting a nighttime water-based patrol near the Sebastian Inlet when they stopped the inbound 42-foot vessel offshore outside the inlet about 7:30 p.m. on February 29th.
"Immediately upon stopping the vessel," the officers "knew they had intercepted a human smuggling operation," states the release. "The operator of the vessel was armed and onboard. Lying prone on the deck of the boat, they discovered 25 individuals, including five unaccompanied children."
In addition to the individuals onboard, officers discovered firearms, night vision gear and drugs. The vessel operator and a passenger, both U.S. citizens, were turned over to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the case was referred to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office for further investigation.
