Federal authorities have charged four men following a late-night maritime pursuit off the coast of South Florida that investigators say was linked to an alleged human smuggling attempt.
According to officials, the incident began roughly 21 miles east of Miami-Dade County when a vessel suspected of transporting undocumented migrants was detected heading toward shore. Shortly before midnight on March 11, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations unit located the boat approximately two miles offshore.
When law enforcement officers attempted to intercept the vessel, it allegedly accelerated and tried to evade capture. Authorities activated emergency lights and sirens, but the boat continued fleeing. Agents first fired warning shots and later discharged disabling rounds into the engine, successfully bringing the vessel to a stop.
Upon boarding, officials discovered 15 undocumented migrants on board. The individuals were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter William Flores for screening and identification checks.
Investigators later determined that the four men operating the vessel — Theron Don Mills of the Bahamas, Oswaldo Sisa Heredia of Ecuador, and Joel Perez-Matos and Pablo Antonio Alvarez Rodriguez of the Dominican Republic — had previously been deported from the United States.
All four were taken into federal custody and charged with illegal reentry after deportation. Mills faces an additional charge of encouraging and inducing individuals to enter the United States unlawfully.
If convicted, Mills could face up to five years in prison on the inducement charge, while the remaining defendants could face up to two years for illegal reentry.
The remaining 11 migrants were not charged and were returned to the Bahamas following processing, authorities said.
