Cuban migrants found at Fort Myers gas station (WZVN-FL)

Cuban migrants found at Fort Myers gas station
Posted: Sep 14, 2009 10:39 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 14, 2009 11:01 PM EDT

By Kevin Ozebek

FORT MYERS: Immigration investigators are looking into an apparent Cuban migrant landing in Southwest Florida. But it's where the people were discovered that's raising questions.

Around 5 p.m. Monday, Hervin Alvate says he saw six people sitting outside the Handy Food Mart Gas Station on Ortiz Avenue. He says they looked a little out of place.

He says they all looked dehydrated and had skin problems.

"Some type of rash - I guess from being in a fiberglass boat," said Alvate. "I was just minding my own business and then they asked me if I could call immigration."

Alvate says the five men and one woman told them they had just arrived from Havana. So he went inside and called 9-1-1.

"Two patrol cars came over here and started investigating," he said.

Sergeant Stephanie Eller, with the Lee County Sheriff's Office, says deputies took the six people to Lee Memorial Hospital.

"They appeared happy to be here," she said. "They wanted to claim asylum as Cuban nationals."

She says what makes this case so different is where these six Cubans were found - not on the beach, but at an inland gas station.

"This is something a little more unusual than when we do catch them at the borders or on the beachfront," Eller said.

Eller said the six people left Cuba last Tuesday and appear to be in good health.

Also on Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted a 28-foot, twin outboard, go-fast boat with 40, 15-gallon fuel containers and four people onboard.

The vessel was spotted by a crew from Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach while on a routine patrol.

Those four individuals onboard the vessel were turned over to state authorities for further investigation regarding their suspected violation of a recently enacted Florida criminal law, which prohibits the transportation of fuel in certain containers onboard vessels.

One of the people onboard also had a warrant for his arrest from Miami-Dade County for assault and kidnapping.