US Coast Guard searches for 39 missing people after suspected ‘human smuggling’ boat sank off Florida coast
Scott P. Arroyo
2 min read
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The Coast Guard discovered a man clinging to the hull of an overturned boat on Saturday.
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According to the agency, 39 people are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Florida.
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The agency said the trip was an “alleged human trafficking business” from the Bahamas.
US Coast Guard rescue teams are searching for 39 missing people after the agency learned that a boat had capsized off the coast of Florida that it suspected was part of a ‘human trafficking business’ humans”.
A lone survivor was found clinging to the hull of an overturned boat about 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet on Saturday night, according to the official Coast Guard Sector Southeast Twitter account.
“The survivor reported that he left Bimini, Bahamas with 39 others on Saturday evening and encountered severe weather causing the vessel to capsize,” said The Coast Guard announced on Tuesday. “This is an alleged human trafficking business.”
The survivor told the Coast Guard that no one on board was wearing a life jacket, the agency said.
The Coast Guard said “several cutters and planes” traveled the 135-mile stretch between Fort Pierce Inlet and Bimini Island, which is the Bahamas’ westernmost district.
The agency did not reveal if any other survivors have since been found.
As of 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, a Coast Guard District 7 spokesperson told Insider there were no further updates on the search.
In a separate report on Friday, the Coast Guard said it intercepted 88 Haitians crammed onto a sailing freighter near Great Inagua, Bahamas. The Coast Guard conducted the operation in conjunction with the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.
“Coast Guard crews continue to be present patrolling the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, to ensure the safety of life at sea,” said the agency in a Facebook post.
“Sailing through the Florida Straits, Windward and Mona Passages through overcrowded and unseaworthy passages is extremely dangerous and could result in loss of life,” he warned.
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