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A group of more than 30 immigrants, most of them chinese citizenswas found inside a U-Haul truck on Friday after a report of an alleged kidnapping, Florida authorities said.
The discovery began when a security guard at a homeowners association in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables reported seeing a kidnapping around 9:35 a.m., Coral Gables Police Chief Edward James Hudak Jr. told reporters. ..
The guard reported seeing a Toyota and a U-Haul truck involved in the incident and immediately alerted a patrol officersaid the boss. The officer then issued a BOLO, a lookout alert, for the vehicles.
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Coral Gables Police Chief Edward James Hudak Jr. speaks to reporters about a group of immigrants found in a U-Haul vehicle on Friday. (WSVN-TV)
The vehicles were stopped by agents and the allegedly kidnapped woman was taken from the Toyota. Officers then began investigating the U-Haul truck, which was carrying 16 Chinese women, 15 Chinese men, a man from Cuba and a woman from Ecuador, according to police.
“Officers opened the back of the truck, which revealed there were 21 citizens, mostly Chinese,” Hudak said.
In addition to the immigrants in the Toyota there was a Cuban man, a Brazilian woman and a man from Ecuador, police said.
“We believe these individuals were brought here by water,” the chief said. “They probably dropped them off, we assume somewhere around the south end of Coral Gables and walked up to the van where they were loaded.”
A U-Haul truck. Florida authorities found 21 migrants inside a U-Haul vehicle on Friday. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
Investigators were looking into whether the woman who was possibly being kidnapped was trying to escape her suspected smugglers. The Coral Gables Fire Department responded to provide medical care to the migrants, who were “tired” but in good condition, police said.
“Today’s event is a prime example of why FDLE supports the governor’s proposed special session to address illegal immigration immediately,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass. “Law enforcement actions are an integral part of preventing these smuggling deals that occur all too frequently at our southern border.”
The immigrants were handed over to the US Border Patroland four other people were detained by police in connection with the incident.
“This started out as a crime,” Hudak said. “The police department responded to that alleged crime with a very alert citizen. By that I mean I think we saved some lives.”
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Authorities patrolling the waters near the city stopped several boats but did not identify the boat on which the migrants were transported, authorities said.
Fox News Digital has contacted police and the United States Border Patrol.
