Haitians Crammed In Secret Compartment

Mon., April 17, 1995

Compiled From Wire Services

The U.S. Coast Guard found 115 Haitians crammed into a secret compartment on a boat which was stopped early Sunday for not having navigation lights.

The Haitians were behind a false wall in a compartment only 20 feet by 6 feet and 6 feet high, the Coast Guard said.

The 65-foot motorboat was spotted about 4 a.m. two miles off Miami Beach. The Coast Guard escorted the boat to the Miami Beach Coast Guard station where the 78 men and 37 women were found hidden in the compartment above the engine room.

The Haitians were turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Most Haitian refugees caught at sea are returned to their homeland.

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Haitians Crammed In Secret Compartment

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