Two Men Indicted In Death Of Haitians Aboard Capsized Boat
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Two men have been indicted in the smuggling deaths of four Haitian women, who died when a boat loaded with aliens being smuggled into the U.S., capsized seven miles from Miami.
The twenty-four count indictment returned today by a federal Grand Jury, charges Naaman Davis, 53, and George Lewis, 38, both of the Bahamas, with conspiracy to smuggle aliens and the deaths of the four Haitians.
In addition, four other men, all from Jamaica, were charged with illegal reentry into the United States.
As first reported by CBS4's news partner the Miami Herald, four of the 15 passengers that survived the incident aboard the 25-foot vessel that capsized on October 16 are no longer in custody.
Activists protested Monday, demanding the release of the immigrants.
The four released Tuesday will serve as witnesses in the case.
Four Haitian women died, eleven others were rescued by U.S. Coast Guard crews, after they were found clinging to the hull of the overturned boat.
The Coast Guard received a report of the capsized vessel around 1 a.m. on October 16.
"The Miami-Dade Police department received a 911 distress call from a cell phone from a person claiming to be clinging from a vessel that had capsized with people in the water," said Coast Guard Commander Darren Caprara.
Three Coast Guard boats, one cutter, a helicopter and search plane were dispatched to the area.
