FLORIDA KEYS — A Hillsborough County man was charged after he was caught driving more than 30 suspected Cuban migrants Monday morning in Marathon, Florida.
The migrants were found hiding in a go-fast boat.
Among them were three young children ages 1 1/2, 4, and 5. None of the kids were wearing seat belts or restrained in the truck.
A 17-year-old was also found hiding in the forward v-berth area of the boat.
Two women, out of the total 32 suspected migrants, were pregnant and evaluated by Marathon Fire Rescue.
According to the release, law enforcement spotted the truck going slower than the speed limit and conducted a traffic stop. That's when they noticed the children in the truck not wearing any seat belts, "as well as the overwhelming smell of saltwater and body odor."
The driver of the truck — 29-year-old Reidel Garcia-Espino of Seffner, Florida — said they had been fishing. However, officers did not see any fishing gear on the boat.
Garcia-Espino was arrested and charged with child neglect.
The migrants were turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Any federal charges against Garcia-Espino would be up to the agency.