FLORIDA CITY, FLA. (WSVN) - - Five Florida residents, including three from Miami, were arrested on state human smuggling charges after being detained by federal authorities, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Dianelys Perez Escourido, 44, Omar Livan Ripoll Perez, 28, and Humberto Tamayo, 48, all from Miami, along with Victor Victor Febales Gualpa, 38, of West Palm Beach and Joel Gil Egued, 48, of Cape Coral face 20 felony counts of human smuggling.
The arrests occurred Monday in Florida City following an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine agents.
According to the MCSO, the suspects were apprehended after 20 foreign nationals, including Ecuadorian and Chinese nationals, were discovered landing by boat off County Road 905 in Key Largo on Sunday.
“The Sheriff’s Office was notified that the U.S. Attorney’s Office was not filing charges, so we consulted with the State Attorney’s Office and elected to proceed with state charges related to human smuggling,” said Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “The Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office do not condone criminal behavior and will always work to hold people accountable.”
The Florida City Police Department also assisted in the investigation.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.