Press Release
CAPTAIN OF CAPSIZED BOAT ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH ALIEN SMUGGLING WITH DEATH RESULTING
May 18, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Investigations, Rear Admiral Steve Branham, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District, and Harold Woodward, Direct of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, announced today the that defendant Jimmy Metellus, 33, of Miami, FL was arrested and charged in criminal complaint charging with alien smuggling, with death resulting, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) and (B)(iii) and (iv).
As set forth in the Complaint, Metellus admitted that he was one of the captains of the vessel which sank in the waters off Palm Beach county in the early morning hours of May 13, 2009. Metellus was allegedly hired by a Bahamian national, whom he identified as "Shine," to captain the vessel from the Bahamas to Miami in exchange for his free passage to the U.S. An individual who was rescued after the boat capsized also identified Metellus as one of the captains, and admitted that he had paid approximately $4,000 in exchange for his transport from the Bahamas to the United States.
After a massive search and rescue operation, sixteen survivors and nine deceased have been identified as having been on the capsized boat. One of the deceased women was pregnant with an approximately eight-month old fetus. The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner issued a separate death certificate for the fetus because of its potential viability. None of the survivors, other than Metellus, had visas or other travel documentation that would have lawfully permitted them to enter the U.S. nor were any found in the nearby waters. Fifteen of the survivors, including Metellus, are Haitian citizens and one is a Jamaican Citizen. As of May 15, 2009, three of the deceased have been positively identified by family members and are reported by such to be citizens of Haiti. The remaining six deceased have yet to be positively identified.
Metellus appeared this morning in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann E. Vitunac. His initial appearance was postponed until Wednesday morning, May 20, 2009, at 10 a.m., so as to afford the defendant the opportunity to obtain a Creole interpreter.
Mr. Acosta commended the efforts of ICE's Office of Investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, for their assistance in this matter. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Bell and Adrienne Rabinowitz.
Attachments:
Complaint (PDF)
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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