Cuban man faces federal charges in Singer Island smuggling attempt
Cuban man faces federal charges in Singer Island smuggling attempt
Posted: 2:07 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, 2014
By Alexandra Seltzer
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
A Cuban man is facing federal charges after authorities say he smuggled a group of Brazilians to South Florida last week. Yoelvis Denis-Hernandez was taken into custody Feb. 11 and faces a federal charge of alien smuggling for private financial gain.
Authorities first spotted the 28-foot white boat Denis-Hernandez was on around 3:20 a.m., about 2.3 miles offshore heading to the Lake Worth Inlet. The marine unit activated their lights and sirens with hopes of inspecting the boat, however the captain tried eluding authorities.
Around 3:35 a.m., the captain beached the boat near Singer Island and all occupants jumped out and toward nearby condominiums, the complaint says. Authorities started a search and found 12 people, 11 Brazilians and Denis-Hernandez. Denis-Hernandez said on Feb. 10 around 4 p.m. he and another man took the boat from a Florida marina to Freeport. He said he would get paid $7,000 to go to Freeport to pick people up and then bring them back.
A Brazilian passenger said it was his first time in the United States. He said his journey began Feb. 6 when he flew from Brazil to Panama and then to Nassau. About two days after that, he flew to Freeport. Two men picked him up at a hotel and brought him to a home where other Brazilians were waiting. He paid one of the men $600, according to the complaint.
More:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/cuban-man-faces-federal-charges-in-singer-island-s/ndRS9/