Coast Guard finds 4 more migrant bodies off Florida coast
[Shannon Kearney / U.S. Coast Guard ]
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Coast Guard says it has found four more bodies in its search for dozens of migrants lost at sea off Florida, for a total of five bodies. The maritime security agency said Thursday that it also plans to call off its active search for survivors at sunset if it doesn’t receive any new information.
Homeland Security Investigations officials say they are treating the case as a human smuggling operation.
A lone survivor was found clinging to the hull of the overturned boat on Tuesday. He said the boat capsized late Saturday after he and 39 others had set out for Florida from Bimini, a chain of islands in the Bahamas.
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The Coast Guard said no one wore life jackets as the the boat capsized in severe weather.