Coral Gables, FL - Law enforcement in Coral Gables stopped two vans on Tuesday morning that were allegedly transporting 26 Chinese migrants in a suspected human smuggling operation.
Coral Gables Police responded to a citizen’s alert just after 8 a.m. about possible migrant transport in two vans.
Officers stopped the vehicles in two separate locations: one at 88th Street and Old Cutler Road and the other at 11600 Old Cutler Road. Inside the vans, police discovered 26 migrants, including 17 men and 9 women, who were allegedly being transported to an undisclosed location.
Two individuals suspected of smuggling the migrants were detained by police.
Authorities also recovered a firearm during the stops.
Aerial footage from the scene captured law enforcement officers frisking individuals and leading them to a Coral Gables city trolley.
Several agencies, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and U.S.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), were involved in the operation.
HSI has since taken over the investigation.
Police suspect the migrants arrived via a canal leading to a private marina, using the same secluded area as a smuggling operation that occurred just days prior, where more than two dozen individuals were taken into custody.
On social media, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jeffrey Dinise confirmed the arrests, tweeting:
“Earlier today, U.S. Border Patrol agents & LE partners responded to a maritime smuggling event & arrested 2 Cuban smugglers & 26 illegal aliens from China. All smugglers will be held accountable & criminally prosecuted. Alien Smuggling = prison time!”
Authorities are continuing to investigate the operation, and law enforcement has reiterated their commitment to prosecuting those responsible for human smuggling.