Federal officials on Monday said the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted an alleged smuggling vessel with nearly two-dozen people on board, including 13 Chinese nationals, near Florida’s coast.
Last week, the Coast Guard and CBP detected “a surface target of interest” near Angelfish Creek, Florida, according to a Border Patrol news release. When they intercepted the vessel, they discovered it was a 27-foot-long cabin vessel before it was interdicted.
They found that one suspected human smuggler, a Cuban national, and 22 illegal immigrants of various nationalities were on board. That included 13 Chinese nationals, eight Ecuadorian nationals, and one from the Dominican Republican, officials said….