A group of more than 30 migrants, most of them Chinese citizenswas found Friday in a U-Haul truck after a report of an alleged kidnapping, Florida authorities said.
The discovery began when a homeowner’s association security guard in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables reported seeing the abduction around 9:35 a.m., Coral Gables Police Chief Edward James Hudak Jr. told reporters.
A security guard reported seeing the Toyota and U-Haul truck involved in the incident and immediately notified a patrol officersaid the chief. The officer then issued a BOLO, a vehicle alert.
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Coral Gables Police Chief Edward James Hudak Jr. talks to reporters about a group of migrants found in a U-Haul on Friday. (WSVN-TV)
The vehicles were stopped by the police, and the woman who was allegedly kidnapped was taken out of the Toyota. Officers then began investigating the U-Haul truck, which contained 16 Chinese women, 15 Chinese men, one Cuban man and an Ecuadorian woman, according to police.
“Officers opened the back of the truck, which revealed 21 mostly Chinese nationals,” Hudak said.
In addition to the migrants, there were a Cuban, a Brazilian woman and a man from Ecuador in the Toyota, the police said.
“We believe these people were brought here by the water,” said the chief. “They were probably dropped off, we’re guessing, somewhere around the south end of Coral Gables and walked up to the van they were loaded into.”
U-Haul van. Authorities in Florida found 21 migrants in a U-Haul on Friday. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
Investigators were questioning whether the woman who may have been abducted was trying to escape her alleged traffickers. The Coral Gables Fire Department responded to provide medical attention to the migrants, who were “tired” but in good condition, police said.
“Today’s event is a great example of why the FDLE supports the governor’s proposed special session to immediately tackle illegal immigration,” said Florida Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass. Law enforcement actions are an integral part of preventing these smuggling ventures that occur all too often on our southern border.
Migrants are surrendered US Border Patroland four more were detained for the incident.
“This started as a crime,” Hudak said. “The police responded to that alleged crime by a very alert citizen. I think we saved some lives with that.”
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Authorities patrolling the waters near the city stopped several vessels but did not identify the boat carrying the migrants, authorities said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the police and the US Border Patrol.
