MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida police officer and firefighter who were stuck in Peru after protests broke out in the country are both now back home safe and sound.
Miami-Dade Police Sgt. Jessenia Munoz arrived home first and much sooner than she had expected, Monday morning.
7News cameras captured Munoz at Miami International Airport as she was greeted by her parents, MDPD officers and the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, at around 4:45 a.m.
Munoz was one of two South Florida first responders who each went on adventure vacations and found themselves trapped in Peru in the middle of a political crisis that has led to massive protests.
Not long after their adventure vacations began, the president of Peru was ousted and arrested. Protests across the country shut down airports, blocked roads, and dismantled railways.
She had been trapped for days in the city of Cusco.
Just a few days after reaching out for help, Munoz is now finally home thanks to the work of the South Florida PBA, which hired a security company to get the job done.
“We reached out to this company that can get her to the airport,” said Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida PBA. “We made sure she had an armed guard with her to make sure she was going to stay safe, and they did it, they got her to the airport, and they made sure she got on the plane. She left, and this morning at about 4:45 at Miami International Airport, she was excited and glad to see her mom and dad waiting for her along with some of her colleagues.”
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Capt. Brian Vega also made it back home for the holidays.
“I am beyond elated and relieved to be back in the good ole USA,” Vega said.
Vega found himself stranded in a town at the base of Machu Pichu during the unruly protests.
“I wasn’t aware of what was about to transpire and now I’m stuck,” Vega said in an interview last week.
Then, over the weekend, he decided to take a 20-mile hike to get to an open road where he could get a ride to an airport.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to do that.
“With about 30 minutes notice, they did announce an emergency evacuation train that was going to take us out to where there was road access,” Vega said. “We made it most of the way. The train did have to stop a mile short because there was a big boulder blocking the railway, and at that point we had to hike in the darkness for the last mile, but there was a bunch of state police and first responders assisting everyone. I believe everyone made it out safely.”
From there, Vega was able to find a ride to an airport and fly home.
Two families are now beyond grateful for their safe return, and daddy’s little girl said the timing was just right.
“I’m happy that he is home before Christmas,” Vega’s daughter said.
Vega hopes his story brings attention to the fact that there are still American tourists trapped in Peru that are in need of help getting home.
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