Nearly 30 People Arrested in Coral Gables Human Smuggling Probe

Authorities arrested nearly 30 individuals in Coral Gables on Friday, suspecting a human smuggling or trafficking operation. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including Coral Gables Police, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security, were present at the scene near Ingraham Park.

A security guard alerted police to suspicious activity involving a U-Haul van and a Toyota. The U-Haul carried 23 people, including 6 females and 15 males from China, a Cuban man, and an Ecuadorian woman. The Toyota had five occupants: two Cuban men, a Brazilian woman, and two Ecuadorian men. Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak revealed that four suspects were believed to orchestrate the operation.

Hudak explained the difference between smuggling and trafficking, emphasizing the exploitation involved in trafficking. The group was suspected to have arrived by boat and dropped off in Coral Gables before being loaded into the vehicles. Marine patrols searched for the boat but were unsuccessful.

All detainees were medically cleared and handed over to federal authorities for further investigation.