OAN Staff Avril Elfie
9:30am – Saturday, January 18, 2025
More than 30 immigrants, most of them Chinese, were found inside a U-Haul truck in Florida after a suspected kidnapping was reported.
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Coral Gables Police Chief Edward James Hadduck Jr. said the group of immigrants was discovered after a security guard at a Coral Gables homeowners association reported witnessing a kidnapping around 9:35 a.m. .
Hudak said a security guard saw a U-Haul and a Toyota vehicle involved in the incident and immediately alerted a patrol officer, who issued a red alert for the vehicle.
Police said officers stopped the vehicle and the woman who was allegedly kidnapped was removed from the Toyota. A search of the U-Haul truck revealed 16 Chinese women, 15 Chinese men, one Cuban man, and one Ecuadorian woman.
“Officers opened the back of the truck and found 21 people, mostly Chinese,” Hudak said.
In addition to the migrants in the U-Haul truck, authorities found a Cuban man, a Brazilian woman, and an Ecuadorian man inside the Toyota.
“We believe these people were brought here by water,” the chief said. “We believe they were probably dropped off and approached the van where they were being loaded on foot near the south end of Coral Gables.”
Officials said the migrants were “tired” but in good condition by the time Coral Gables Fire Department arrived.
“Today's events are a great example of why FDLE supports the Governor's proposed special session to immediately address illegal immigration,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Director Mark Glass. “Law enforcement efforts are essential to disrupting the smuggling operations that frequently occur at our nation's southern border.”
The migrants were then turned over to U.S. Border Patrol, and four others were taken into police custody in connection with the incident.
“This started as a crime,” Hudak said. “Police responded to a suspected crime by a very alarmed citizen. So I think we saved some lives.”
Authorities said they had seized a number of boats while patrolling waterways near the city, but the boat in which the migrants were transported had not been identified.
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