Contraband: Seized at Sea (2024) s01e04 Episode Script

1
The Caribbean has been used
to smuggle contraband
since the 18th century.
And today, the trafficking
of humans and narcotics through here
is worth billions of dollars each year.
The island of Puerto Rico
is often used as a passageway by smugglers
for transporting contraband
to the U.S. mainland.
So we see a boat of interest.
A small little boat heading from
Culebra, following the reef line.
That's a typical route here for smuggling.
A mile off the west coast,
marine agents have spotted
a suspicious-looking boat
coming from the nearby island of Culebra.
It's a small vessel.
Fits the description
of something we're looking for.
He's heading back to the mainland
of Puerto Rico,
so we're gonna go ahead
and do a vessel doc check on him.
The agents want to look
at the vessel's documents
and the IDs of the boat's occupants
to ensure nothing illegal is going on.
Three guys on board.
Good afternoon.
When the agents get close,
something seems off.
- No.
- You know them?
It's unusual for a boat this small
These guys look a little suspicious to me.
to be this far out at sea
for no apparent reason.
They're not very friendly.
They're not talking.
Keep an eye on those guys.
U.S. Customs.
Go, go, go, go, go!
It's just after dawn in Puerto Rico.
And on the island's west coast,
Border Patrol Agent Rodriguez
is starting his shift.
His job is to patrol the 700 miles
of unprotected coastline,
looking out for any unauthorized landings.
My border is the ocean.
So that's how far is our border here.
In calm weather,
smuggling vessels arrive
on a near daily basis,
loaded with undocumented migrants
or drugs.
You can hardly see any white clouds
out there.
It's the wind, probably five to ten.
On my book, that's good conditions.
Recently, it's been calm,
making it perfect weather for traffickers.
They will actually wait out
in the horizon,
and wait until the low light hours
in order to come in.
They'll be navigating without lights out.
All you can hear is just the engines
sometimes at night.
Until they get here.
That's why this is a sweet spot over here.
You get to see them way before
they can make their landfall.
But the haze, you don't notice but
it's the dust from the Sahara Desert.
All that haze,
it's impeding the visibility.
Knowing it's just a matter of time
before he gets a call,
Agent Rodriguez continues patrolling.
Within minutes, a call comes in.
There's possibly another landing.
We're verifying.
There was possible landing,
waiting for confirmation.
Somewhere in Isabela town.
We better start heading that way.
A suspicious boat has been reported
up the coast, north of the island.
But there are no more details.
All they know is a possible landing.
They haven't confirmed it yet.
I don't have any clue
if it is migrants or cocaine,
that's what we get here,
or what's the deal.
We're getting closer to downtown Isabela.
The streets are getting narrow.
Without knowing what to expect,
Agent Rodriguez goes to investigate.
He will be the first on the scene.
- Isabela.
- Ten-four, sir.
He approaches the location,
looking for any clues
to indicate what is going on.
See the life jacket over there.
Agent Rodriguez spots abandoned
life jackets
and clothing in the grass.
A telltale sign of human trafficking.
He heads to the beach,
unsure of what awaits him.
The traffickers and the migrants
they brought in illegally
could still be hiding in the area.
On the beach,
there's the type of boat
commonly used by traffickers,
and it looks abandoned.
Super heavy traffic today.
Miami Air and Sea Show
is gonna be happening,
there will be hundreds
of thousands of boats out there.
Yeah, it's gonna be packed.
The Miami Air and Sea Show
is a two-day event
attracting hundreds of thousands
of people to the area.
It's gonna be hot today.
A high of 91, I think,
so make sure we hydrate.
- Any concerns? Let's go.
- No, sir. All right.
But where there are crowds,
there are criminals.
So Agents Todd, Kyle, and Mike
will be patrolling
the South Florida coastline
looking for any signs of illegal activity.
It's Memorial Day weekend.
Big weekend for South Florida.
You've got events, air shows, boat shows.
Also, this is the last big weekend
for a lot of people
that come from up north
and spend their winters
here in South Florida.
This is their last big weekend
before they head north.
So, it'll be real busy.
Although most of the traffic today
are pleasure crafts,
these waters are also used heavily
by smugglers.
And it's not long before Agent Todd
gets a call from headquarters.
Do you have a position?
A recreational fisherman has reported
finding suspicious packages
floating in the water.
Okay.
And do we have a vessel description?
There's probably a million boats
out here today.
A common tactic used by smugglers
is to drop narcotics from a plane
to later be picked up
by gang members in boats.
But dispatch has lost direct contact
with the vessel.
What was the last known position
in your chat?
Seventy-nine, fifty-eight.
We will start heading in that direction.
And if you get any updates,
shoot 'em out to me.
Specifically a vessel description
because there's a lot of boats
out here right now.
So I just got a call.
Apparently a local fisherman out here
has found some bales
of possible narcotics.
He's taking them on board his boat
and claiming
that he's going to drop them off
to the appropriate authorities
at some point.
From where we are,
it's gonna be approximately
eight miles northeast
of where we are right now.
- You guys ready?
- Yes, sir.
All right, coming up.
The angler has the suspicious
packages on his boat.
Cartels are known to reclaim their
drugs using violence.
So the team races
to the vessel's last known position,
hoping to get to them
before anyone else does.
Got it.
The boat soon comes into view,
and it might be the one with the packages.
Got lines in the water.
- Good morning. How you doing?
- I'm doing well, how are you?
Doing well. U.S. Customs. How long
have you guys been out this way?
An hour and a half, two hours.
You didn't happen to find anything
- we might be interested in, did you?
- No.
- We've been looking really hard.
- A pillowcase?
- There's a pillowcase some ways back.
- Yeah?
Frustratingly, it's not the right boat.
There was somebody
saying they found something
that I might be interested in.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Nah, I've been listening on nine,
but straight ahead there's three more
boats on the same line.
All right, guys. Thank you. Be safe.
The team presses on,
knowing every minute counts.
Then, they get a description
of the fishing vessel
carrying the packages.
Twenty-six-foot center console,
white, with twin Yamaha.
The next boat they encounter
matches the description.
- How we doing, guys?
- Hey, good morning.
- U.S. Customs, sir.
- How are you?
- I'm doing well. How are you?
- I'm good, officer.
Where are you coming from today?
- Port Everglades.
- Port Everglades?
How long have you been out this morning?
- 6:00, 7:00.
- Okay. Any luck fishing?
- Had a couple of bites, lost a couple.
Then we got the lines
all tangles in the motor,
and then we saw one package,
so we grabbed that one
to see if it was what it is.
Then we started seeing them around us.
Okay. All right.
This time,
it is the boat they're looking for.
And they've got them before the cartel.
Can you come clutch ahead on that
with one engine?
- Or you still got a line in it?
- No. Put it in gear?
Yeah, yeah. Just put it in gear.
We'll come alongside you here.
I'm actually a Coast Guard veteran.
This is a first for me,
I think it never happened.
- Where were you in the Coast Guard?
- San Diego.
All right.
Well, that might be why you didn't.
This happens a little bit.
Let me lower this fender real
quick. All right.
- What do you guys got?
- So this one, we gaffed them,
- so that one's got a hole in it.
- Okay.
It's clear the packages are drugs.
Now, the team needs to see
if there are more floating around
before gang members arrive
to collect them.
On Puerto Rico's west coast,
Border Patrol Agent Rodriguez
is investigating what looks like
a recently abandoned boat.
That's a 33-footer. 16-foot wide.
It's the kind used by traffickers,
so he moves in cautiously.
It turns out the boat isn't empty.
But thankfully,
what's inside isn't dangerous.
Take a look at it.
Imagine 80-something people cramped
in here.
The vessel contains clothing
and personal items
that belong to men, women,
and even some children.
They get charged $7000
to $4000 per person.
And they have to leave everything behind,
just for the promise of a better
future, I guess.
It's likely the people in it
came from the Dominican Republic,
80 miles away.
The closest point would be Samana.
They could be down here in eight
hours. Eight to twelve hours.
But sometimes it's three, four days,
they get lost.
It's obvious to Agent Rodriguez
that when it finally arrived,
this boat must have made a rough landing.
You can see how the wood
in the middle was broken.
I guess whenever they hit the reef,
the force threw everybody up front.
They get off with their belongings
in their bag.
And as soon as they start
walking or running,
they notice it's easier to run
with your hands empty.
And they start getting rid of everything.
Agent Rodriguez and his colleagues
need to find the traffickers,
bring them to justice,
and locate the migrants desperate
for a new life
before they're harmed.
Port Newark in New Jersey, sees 5000
ships dock here every year.
Receiving approximately
seven million containers annually
from all over the world.
With so many imports
coming from around the globe,
it's the role of the Customs and
Border Protection's Agriculture
to keep diseases and invasive
species from getting into America.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
- How are you? Good morning.
- Good morning.
We are Customs and Border Protection
Agriculture Specialists.
We would like to meet
the Chief Officer on duty.
Today,
Stephanie and Melvin are responsible
for inspecting a ship
that has just arrived from China,
to ensure it's fully compliant
with U.S. regulations.
With over 3500 potential threats
to the U.S.,
officers need to be vigilant.
We would like to see your dry store.
- Do you want to go now?
- Yes, please. Thank you.
One of the biggest threats
officers encounter
isn't from the food products being
shipped into the U.S. for sale,
but from food purchased
for the ship's crew
in various countries along their voyage.
In this room we are looking
at the dry store products
because it could be coming
from Khapra beetle countries.
The khapra beetle is one of the most
destructive insect pests of stored grains.
And Khapra beetle,
it's one really small beetle
that can do a lot of harm.
An infestation would be a disaster
for America's
$1.5 trillion agriculture industry.
It's a big concern,
because eradicating it,
it would be a hard battle,
if it comes to it.
Measuring less than one-tenth of an inch,
finding them is like searching
for a needle in a giant haystack.
This is kind of dried grain.
In here, could be a potential
to find a Khapra beetle.
It's one of the favorite spots for them.
Just a few minutes into the search,
Stephanie finds something.
I find that insect. It's dead.
Even an insect as tiny as this
doesn't get past the eagle-eyed officer.
The team moves quickly
to put the specimen in a container
to send to the lab.
We're grabbing the pest
and putting it in alcohol
to be then submitted for identification
at the USDA Plant Inspection Station.
And then the etymologist identifier
will let us know what it is.
If it is a khapra beetle,
the ship, its crew,
and the entire multi-million dollar
cargo will have to be quarantined.
Off the east coast of Puerto Rico,
marine agents have stopped
a suspicious-looking boat
with three men in it.
He's the only one with an ID?
What about that guy
with the tattoos all over his face?
One of the men has what looks like
the type of tattoos used by local gangs.
- No. Not that I don't like it, but
- Yeah, I know what you mean.
Agents quickly ascertain
that one of the men is on probation.
They're on probation. Why?
Who's on probation? Him?
See, I already called it.
That guy's on probation.
Puerto Rican gangs are responsible
for the majority of the island's crime
and control the smuggling
of all types of contraband.
Agent Sibio takes photos of the men's IDs
to check in their database.
Where are you from?
I am traveling, but I'm from Puerto Rico.
I'm from Carolina.
The fact all three men
are from different areas
is also unusual.
Show me your face, please.
He's the most handsome, right?
The agents need to find out
if anyone else has a criminal
history, and fast.
Agents don't know
how much of a threat the men are,
and are out at sea alone without backup.
- Do you have any firearms?
- No.
No, no? Okay, okay.
Do you have criminal records?
Human trafficking.
Human trafficking is a serious crime
and punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
When? The date? You don't remember?
He don't remember when he was arrested?
When the man convicted
of human trafficking
can't even remember when he was arrested,
agents suspect the men
are hiding something.
- The question is what?
- I'm sure, you might as well,
we got three records,
you might as well run him too.
The results come back quickly,
and it's concerning news about the man
who couldn't remember
when he was arrested.
Sibio, what were they arrested for?
Human smuggling, money smuggling.
I have prior
The guy who said he didn't remember
anything, it was just last month.
It's enough for the agents
to escalate matters to the next level.
Let's do it.
We're gonna check the boat.
- You are? Okay.
- Yep.
Officers from the Customs and Border
Protection Agriculture Team,
Melvin and Stephanie, have found a beetle
on board a Chinese container ship
that has been sent out to the lab.
The fear is it's a khapra beetle,
a destructive pest
which would force them
to put the ship under quarantine.
We would like to see your fruit
and vegetables and meat room.
- Ah, meat room.
- Yeah.
In their quest to keep the U.S. safe
from invasive species and diseases,
they move on to the ship's other stores.
We are looking to another type of pest,
and we're going to make sure
that there is not anything
that can be introduced
or harm our country.
As the ship traveled from China
through Asia and across the Pacific,
the vegetables purchased on the way
might be carrying diseases or pests
such as the exotic fruit fly.
They're known to attack
over 400 types of plants,
destroying entire crops, disrupting trade,
and causing major financial losses
for farmers.
Right now I'm looking at some peppers.
I'm trying to see if I see any pests,
but also I'm trying to see if there's
any type of damage from the peppers,
because there's also plant diseases
that affect them,
like the tomato brown rugose virus
which is still active
in the Dominican Republic.
Stephanie and Melvin
find nothing of concern,
and they move on to the ship's meat store.
This ship is coming from China,
but we have pork that is coming,
actually it's originated from Brazil.
We like to know which types the
meats are coming from
because some of these countries,
they may have what is called
foot and mouth disease,
and it affects the cattle.
That's something we don't want here.
- Or African swine fever.
- Exactly.
The officers sign off on the meat store,
and the inspection is nearly at an end.
But they are still waiting to find
out if the beetle they found
is the dreaded khapra beetle,
and if the ship and its cargo,
worth millions of dollars,
needs to be quarantined.
Five miles off the coast of Florida
We gaffed them,
so that one's got a hole in it.
Agents Todd, Mike, and Kyle
have located the boat
that reported having the packages
of suspected narcotics
they found floating in the water.
And that was all right around
this particular area?
All the coordinates we gave them
on the radio.
I saw the aeroplane go up quickly
after that for a little bit.
So it looks to me like right now
we have seven packages of marijuana.
These guys here were trying
to pick them out of the ocean.
They used a gaff for fishing.
They did split one or two of them open.
It's readily apparent that it's marijuana.
You can smell it. You can see it.
They are kilo-sized.
They're super, super wet,
so the weights will probably vary.
It's gonna be a hard estimate to say,
but it's probably gonna be about
seven kilos.
Finding bales of drugs
in the waters around Florida
is a relatively common occurrence.
The fact one of the fishermen saw a plane
means these were almost certainly dropped
for a gang in a boat to pick up.
Sometimes it's actually big bales
and bundles.
Sometimes it's just loose kilos here
or there.
Sometimes it's cocaine.
Sometimes it's marijuana.
It means an expectant gang
will be looking to pick them up,
and there could be more bundles
in the water.
So what we're gonna do
is we're gonna turn this
over to Homeland Security
Investigations, okay?
I can't say yay or nay,
but they may want to talk to you.
Your name's Kevin?
- And that is your phone number?
- Yeah.
I appreciate you.
We'll hang around in this area.
If I need anything, I'll re-approach.
Are you gonna be fishing
for a little while?
We're going to start trolling in.
We've had battery issues, so
But you're not gonna get up and just
run. You'll be trolling.
- So if I need you, I'll come back up.
- That's all good.
- I appreciate it. Thank you.
- All right, thank you guys.
The team stays in the area
to search for any stray packages,
and to see if the gang turns up
looking for their cargo.
We are gonna patrol a little bit
in this direction.
Typically, debris starts drifting
together out in the ocean.
We're just gonna run this a little
bit, see if we see anything else.
If not, we'll head back.
Within minutes,
Agent Todd spots something.
Got some plastic wrap.
We might have some plastic wrap over here.
I got it.
Ten yards.
Five yards.
That's a clean one.
Yup. Trash.
After a few hours of searching,
there are no more narcotics
or suspicious-looking boats.
The team prepares to leave
and will now hand over the case
for investigation.
So for us, because we have this now
on our boat, it's in our possession,
it is evidence, even though
we don't have a, you know, a subject
to go along with it.
I've already made contact
with our Homeland Security
Investigations guys
to see if somebody is gonna be able
to come and take this,
send it to the lab, definitively test it,
and hold it for evidence
pending any future investigations.
Satisfied a cartel has been outmaneuvered,
the team heads back to base.
An official lab analysis will follow.
But for now,
Todd carries out a basic field test.
Purple. Positive for marijuana.
If it wasn't for the good
Samaritan fishermen and the agents,
an illegal narcotic could have
fallen into the wrong hands.
Instead, it will be analyzed,
and any evidence found
will be used to inform future cases
before it's destroyed.
As long as we can keep bad guys
or narcotics off the street,
it's always a good day.
Off the east coast of Puerto Rico,
agents are checking a boat they stopped
with three suspected gang members.
- What were they arrested for?
- Human smuggling, money smuggling.
What is recently?
The guy who said he didn't remember
anything, It was just last month.
Are you voluntarily authorizing me
to touch your boat?
Keep an eye on them.
- I got it.
- We got it.
The agents move
to search the vessel carefully
since it isn't clear
what the men are up to
- or how dangerous they might be.
- Just keep an eye on those guys.
Lift up that carpet.
- What do you have there?
- Nothing.
- What are you carrying there?
- This is where we keep the tools.
They also have some at the front.
Despite the agents' concerns, the
search of the boat comes up empty.
It doesn't look like anything
suspicious at this point.
Although they do fit the description
of typically what we're looking for.
A little Yola, three guys on a boat.
And that looked suspicious
and that's why we stopped it.
But right now, it looks pretty clean.
The crew lets the men go.
But agent Sibio is still convinced
they were up to something.
I'm sure the guy that was in prison
had gang affiliation.
We couldn't see
what kind of tattoos they were.
I'm sure if we searched his arm
or somewhere else,
there was something that indicated
that he was in a gang.
We would have been able to tell
which gang it was.
I hate to have to put labels on somebody,
but they just weren't friendly enough
to me.
They didn't fit in.
The guy didn't remember
he was arrested last month.
Typically, those kind of answers
say that he's still
He's hiding something. He's still up
to something. He could be.
You know, we checked it.
His boat was clean this time.
You never know. But maybe next
time we'll catch him in the act.
On Puerto Rico's west coast,
after an abandoned boat was discovered
full of clothing and belongings,
agents are looking
for the human traffickers
and the people they were smuggling.
The search starts in a jungle
near the beach.
- Shall I go that way?
- Yes.
The boat journey would have taken
eight to 12 hours
from the Dominican Republic.
And by now, the people will have
been hiding for another six.
They will be dehydrated, hungry,
and probably scared.
A helicopter monitors from above,
while a team of agents and local police
look for clues of where the
traffickers and the migrants went.
Trying to go around the fence line.
If caught, the traffickers will face
up to 10 years in jail.
They surely crossed this path.
One local police officer did witness
some of the group earlier in the day.
Where did you see them
coming in and out exactly?
Over there.
- The road we came in?
- Where we arrived with the cars.
It's clear the group of people
is doing their best not to be found.
From in there,
I saw someone going towards the water
towards one of those lagoons.
But there's a baby within the group.
There's a diaper.
Yes, I saw it.
The news that there's a baby in the group
makes it even more crucial
that they are found.
And fast.
The team looks anywhere somebody
scared might potentially hide.
But despite their best efforts,
no one is found.
- Gracias.
- De nada.
So whatever we got left
is to work the streets
and keep ourselves in the area.
See what happens.
In Port Newark,
Customs and Border Protection's
Agriculture Officers
Melvin and Stephanie
received confirmation from an entomologist
that the beetle they found
in the ship's dry stores
isn't the highly invasive
and destructive khapra beetle.
So the ship won't have to quarantine.
Chief Officer, we would like
to see some documents.
- Ship particulars.
- Yeah. Okay.
But the ship isn't in the clear yet.
Because now they turn their attention
to cross-checking all the ship's
logs and documents.
Right now we're verifying
the different paperwork.
We're looking at the ship's particular,
and want to make sure
everything is okay and correct.
They're searching for any
discrepancies or violations
of U.S. rules and regulations.
As you can see, it says all of the
route that the ship is being stopped.
Majority of them was from Asia, China.
One tiny error would mean the ship's
multi-million dollar cargo
will have to go back
to where it came from.
Any passengers?
Or any offsigners, onsigners?
- Passenger, no.
- No, okay. Perfect. Thank you.
Having checked everything,
the ship is signed off as safe
and the cargo can now be unloaded.
Basically this ship is on compliance.
We didn't find anything
that can harm the U.S.
At every port of entry
into the U.S.,
officers like Stephanie and Melvin
protect the country's natural resources
from invasive plant pests
and animal diseases.
We see they were following all the
regulations that have been stated
with the different agencies
from the U.S.
And they're compliant,
so for me that's real good,
because that means we are doing
our job. They are understanding.
And as long as they keep following
the regulations as it needs to be,
then it makes our job easier.
I feel proud because I know
that I'm doing something
that can help the whole United States.
In Fort Lauderdale, after securing
the load of marijuana,
vessel captain Kyle and his team
are setting off on patrol again.
I don't think we'll have air support,
so we're just gonna drive around
and try and spot our own boats
coming across from The Bahamas.
Even without air support,
a boat is spotted coming from
the direction of The Bahamas,
and the agents decide to intercept.
I see one on board.
I got one in the cabin.
Ready?
Good morning, captain.
U.S. Customs, sir.
Where are you coming from today?
- Bimini.
- Okay. Where are you headed to?
- Haulover.
- Where in Haulover?
- Eastern Shores.
- Okay.
Upon closer inspection, Agent Kyle
thinks he recognizes the boat.
This boat does fit a description
of a target vessel
that I have some intel on.
Could be it, could not.
There's a lot of these out there,
but we'll see what we get.
This type of yacht was the first
boat made using fiberglass,
and hundreds of thousands of them
have been manufactured.
- Is it just you on board?
- Yeah.
- You're the only person?
- Yes.
- Okay. How long were you in Bimini?
- Overnight.
I came from Nassau, Bimini, then here.
Okay. You have anything to declare
- coming back into the country?
- I don't.
- You have your documentation handy?
- Yeah, I do.
Do you have any weapons on the boat?
- No, I don't.
- All right.
Only 50 miles from the coast of Florida,
the island chain of Bimini
has become a launch pad
for human trafficking and drug smuggling.
If you could do me a favor,
just put the clutch ahead.
We're gonna come alongside
and come on over.
Don't go down below for me.
I thought rolling up,
that I saw a head in that cabin.
Because Agent Todd thought he saw
a second person on board,
the agents move cautiously
to search the boat.
- Good morning, sir.
- Morning.
- How was your trip?
- Good.
Good. Yeah?
The agents quickly determine
the man is all alone.
- Where are you a citizen from?
- U.S.
You're a U.S. citizen?
Where were you born?
- U.K.
- Okay.
So you're naturalized then?
When were you naturalized, sir?
Uh, 1980
80-ish? 80-ish?
The man seems unsure of his story.
Agent Kyle wastes no time
getting the boat checked out.
Can you show me on a stop
with the vessel name
Common spelling.
Out of Miami Beach, Florida.
As they wait for the results,
Agent Todd and Mike
start their investigation.
Do you have your documents below?
Would you mind if my partner goes down,
takes a peek and grabs
those documents for us?
- Yeah.
- Okay. Binder. Got you.
Anything on the boat you need to declare?
- No.
- Okay.
While getting the documents,
Agent Mike takes the opportunity
to search the cabin
for anything out of the ordinary.
As the search goes on below deck,
Agent Todd continues questioning
the suspect.
- So you're the owner of the vessel?
- Yes.
I'll need to see the vessel documentation
- and your passport, please.
- Passport's down here.
Okay. Uh, Mike, coming down.
Go ahead and grab it, sir.
The man is claiming he owns the vessel,
but the state of Florida's records
show otherwise.
Go for, 831.
I think I've found your vessel.
We have the registered owner on that
as a Ralls.
Year of birth is 1942.
1942?
1942 would make the suspect
over 80 years old.
When Agent Todd gets hold of his passport,
the name doesn't match.
Mr. Smith.
The wrong name and wrong age
means either the authorities
have incorrect information,
or the man isn't telling the truth.
So the boat's being kept here?
I have a house here on Eastern Shores.
If he's lying about the boat,
the agents need to find out
if he's lying about anything else.
On Puerto Rico's west coast,
agents are continuing to look
for the human traffickers
and the people they brought
to the island illegally.
- Shall I go that way?
- Yes.
While the search
hasn't turned up anything yet,
Agent Rodriguez receives word
that further inland,
a large group has been rescued
and taken to the Border Patrol
Station in Aguadilla.
I'm heading back to the station
to see where they're coming from,
how many, more or less,
see how many outstanding.
So far,
46 people have been discovered safe,
including the baby.
They are all from the Dominican
Republic and neighboring Haiti.
The majority of this group are Haitians.
Most of them,
they're just escaping the reality
of their living situation
over there in Haiti.
It's been going on for a while already.
There's no law over there, so these
guys are looking for a better life.
The breakdown in law and order in Haiti
is exploited by the traffickers,
who cash in on the hopeless
situation of many living there.
The people that are bringing
these guys in, they don't care.
They just see a dollar sign
on each person.
So the more people they could fit
into a boat,
the more money they make.
They're actually trading
with the lives of people,
making money out of their desperation.
The journey across is treacherous.
And this time, one woman didn't make it.
We found a body floating
between the sand and the water.
It was somewhere around
100-and-something yards
west of the landing.
Apparently, when they arrived,
they hit the rock so hard,
this lady probably fell off,
hit her head, and floated.
In the commotion, nobody noticed.
Homeland Security investigators
are now interviewing
all the detained migrants
to see if they can identify
the trafficker responsible.
As an investigative agency,
the main purpose of us being here
is to try to identify the boat captain.
We have people from the
Dominican Republic that talk Spanish.
It's easy for us.
But in Haiti, they talk Creole.
So in order to conduct an interview
with a migrant from Haiti,
we need to contact an interpreter
who assists us during the interview.
Multiple witnesses have identified a man
who is in the group agents have
detained as the trafficker.
Because a person was killed,
the trafficker is looking at
a charge of manslaughter.
I'm pretty sure he could get life
in prison.
We don't have the death penalty
in Puerto Rico,
but I'm pretty sure he'll get life.
Agents are hoping to have enough evidence
to mount a successful prosecution.
Meanwhile,
off the coast of Fort Lauderdale
- Anything come back on the vessel?
- Standby.
Agent Kyle and his team
have stopped a boat
where the alleged owner doesn't
match the details on state records.
That's negative on the vessel.
Just looks like a private vessel.
Despite the conflicting information
the agents have,
it looks like the boat hasn't been
stolen or involved in a crime.
- You need checks on the R.O.?
- Yes, please.
But that doesn't mean
the registered owner is clean, too.
So the registered owner's
date of birth was, like, '42,
and the guy on board
doesn't look to be that old.
On the vessel, Agent Todd
is checking the man's story.
So you left Nassau yesterday
and went to Bimini?
I left Nassau at 5:00 o'clock
last night.
I got into Bimini at 3:20.
Agent Mike is still searching
for anything that may be hidden.
When Agent Todd studies
the man's vessel documents,
the name is the same as the passport,
but he uncovers a problem.
- Do you have Florida numbers as well?
- No, just the U.S. documentation.
The man hasn't registered the boat
with the state of Florida,
even though he lives there.
You don't have a sticker
from the state of Florida?
No.
It explains all the confusion.
- Pretty sure you need one.
- Really?
Although he's the legal owner,
not registering the vessel
with the state of Florida
means the records are out of date.
We'll get you on your way.
How's that sound?
It's a small mistake
that could have caused big problems.
I'll put your documentation back in here.
Your passport will be right there.
You can seal that up
whenever you're ready.
- Are you good?
- I'm good.
- Thank you for your time.
- Thank you very much.
Welcome back.
Safe travels to you today.
I was looking for modifications.
It really fits a good example
of what we're looking for.
One guy driving back from The Bahamas,
really didn't have much on board.
I was really digging in there
to see if I saw any kind of like
places where he can hide stuff, screws,
anything that looked out of the usual
for him to Any modifications.
But I didn't really see anything.
I was digging pretty hard
in certain spots that I've seen before.
So, everything checked out.
His documentation paperwork
for the vessel was outdated.
We're just trying to verify that he
was actually the registered owner.
And nothing out of the ordinary.
All in all, good stop.