24 Haitian migrants stopped at Sebastian Inlet in smuggling attempt
By: Twenty-four migrants, including children, were stopped at the Sebastian Inlet in a smuggling attempt on Thursday night, the sheriff's office said.
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office (IRCSO) said it assisted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Border Patrol, H.S.I., and the U.S. Coast Guard in stopping a smuggling attempt at the Sebastian Inlet.
The sheriff's office said its Marine Unit responded to help the FWC in transporting 24 undocumented Haitian citizens, including men, women, and children.
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Aerial video shows law enforcement encountering the boat. Body cam video shows the IRSCO Marine Unit surveying the boat, and the migrants sitting and waiting.
Investigators said the two captains of the boat the migrants were found on were detained and handed over to federal authorities. The 24 people were turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard.