Press Release
TWO MIAMI MEN CHARGED IN WEST PALM BEACH ALIEN SMUGGLING CASE
November 16, 2007
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, John Beutlich, Director, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Mathew Zetts, Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol, Rear Admiral David W. Kunkel, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District, and Michael S. Reiter, Chief, Town of Palm Beach Police Department, announced today the filing of a Criminal Complaint charging defendants Duany Jimenez, 24, and Maikel Soto, 28, both of Miami, Florida, with alien smuggling, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A)i. Each defendant faces a possible sentence of 10 years imprisonment if convicted on these charges. Both defendants made their initial appearances in federal court today before United States Magistrate Judge Linnea R. Johnson. A Pre-trial Detention hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, November 21, 2007.
According to the filed Complaint, on November 15, 2007, at approximately 2:40 a.m., officers of the Palm Beach Police Department responded to the area of Mockingbird Lane and Ocean Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida, in reference to a migrant landing. Upon arriving in the area, officers discovered thirty-four (34) Cuban nationals huddled on the beach. The individuals stated that they had recently swum ashore from a vessel that traveled directly from Cuba to the United States. Further investigation confirmed that one of the migrants had drowned while attempting to swim from the vessel to the shore, and his body was subsequently found on the beach. Thereafter, federal agents transported the thirty-four undocumented aliens to the United States Border Patrol Station located in Riviera Beach, Florida, for interviewing and processing.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the agents and officers of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Jupiter Police Department, Juno Beach Police Department, and the Town of Palm Beach Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emalyn Webber.
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.
Technical comments about this website can be e-mailed to the Webmaster. PLEASE NOTE: The United States Attorney's Office does not respond to non-technical inquiries made to this website. If you wish to make a request for information, you may contact our office at 305-961-9001, or you may send a written inquiry to the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, 99 NE 4th Street, Miami, Fl. 33132.