NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

BLACKBERRY EDITION

Thursday, April 6, 2006

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INCIDENTS

Everglades NP

Illegal Cuban Migrants Apprehended at Middle Cape

On the evening of April 3rd, rangers in the Flamingo District were contacted by the Coast Guard and advised of a boat with Cuban migrants off Cape Sable. They found 36 Cuban men, women and children on the beach at Middle Cape. A 30-foot “go-fast” boat powered by four 250-hp outboard engines was also found at that location. According to initial reports, five members of the group were missing - two of them believed to be the smugglers. A Customs Blackhawk helicopter assisted in the search for the five but without results. The Coast Guard took the Cubans to Marathon, Florida. On the morning of April 4th, rangers and a Customs helicopter continued the search and found another three migrants. It's believed that the boat ran out of gas and drifted to shore. The vessel was seized and the three migrants turned over to the Border Patrol. [Bonnie Foist]

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Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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