Federal authorities arrested a Haitian man in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who had previously been convicted of felony human smuggling and deported from the United States in a smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of 10 migrants more than a decade ago.
Jimmy Metellus, an illegal immigrant from Haiti, recently completed a 14-year federal prison sentence for his role in a deadly smuggling scheme that resulted in the deaths of nine migrants and one unborn child in 2009. Metellus, 48, was co-captain of a boat carrying migrants that capsized off the coast of Florida on May 13, 2009.
Miami District Patrol Chief Samuel Briggs II announced Metellus’ arrest on Thursday and said the enforcement action was the result of a multi-agency law enforcement operation. Metellus is facing felony charges under U.S. immigration law and may be facing felony prosecution for illegally re-entering the country after being deported.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Following a coordinated multi-agency investigation, federal agents have arrested a Haitian national who was previously convicted and sentenced to 174 months in prison for alien smuggling resulting in the deaths of nine migrants and one unborn child. pic.twitter.com/NOehtwVaOf
— Samuel Briggs II (@USBPChiefMIP) August 8, 2024
Metellus was convicted in 2009 of helping to capsize a boat carrying what authorities believed to be 28 to 35 Haitian migrants. At the time, rescuers were searching for survivors from the overloaded boat, mostly Haitian migrants, off Florida’s Atlantic coast, but rescuers were unable to determine the exact number of people on board. Authorities investigating the incident determined that one of the victims was a fetus.
Sixteen people survived the ship’s sinking, according to the Associated Press. Report Eight of the survivors were wearing life jackets at the time, and the remaining survivors had to tread water for more than 10 hours before they were accidentally spotted by another boat about 15 miles off the coast of Florida.
In 2010, U.S. Attorney Wilfredo Ferrer announced that Metellus had been sentenced to approximately 14 years in prison for his role in a failed smuggling scheme that resulted in the deaths of 10 migrants in Florida. Metellus pleaded guilty to 13 counts of smuggling endangering the life of an alien in violation of 8 U.S.C. Sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) and (v)(II) and 1324(a)(1)(B)(iii), and nine counts of smuggling resulting in death in violation of 8 U.S.C. Sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) and (v)(II) and 1324(a)(1)(B)(iv).
According to the indictment charging Metellus with his role in the 2009 deaths, Metellus and three other captains of the boat carrying the dying migrants departed the Bahamas on May 9, 2009. The boat headed to Bimini, where the migrants were allegedly removed from the boat and the boat was repaired for damage sustained during the voyage. The following night, the migrants were reloaded on the boat, which departed for the United States. In the early morning hours of May 13, 2009, a good Samaritan notified the United States Coast Guard (USCG) that they had seen people at sea approximately 16 miles east of Palm Beach County, Florida.
A massive search and rescue operation by USCG, CBP Air and Sea Interdiction agents, U.S. Border Patrol, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach Fire and Rescue, and the Palm Beach County Coroner’s Office identified 16 survivors, including Metellus, and 10 deceased migrants aboard the vessel. According to the U.S. Attorney prosecuting the case, the 10 deceased migrants included one adult male, seven adult females, one infant, and one unborn fetus. None of the survivors had visas or other travel documents to enter the United States, and no such documents were found in nearby waters.
Metellus is an immigrant who has previously been deported as a felon and could face up to 20 years in prison.
Randy Clark Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as Chief of the Law Enforcement Operations Division, where he led operations for nine Border Patrol stations in the Del Rio Sector, Texas. Follow him on Twitter, @RandyClarkBBTX.
