A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted five foreign nationals following a disrupted smuggling attempt that packed dozens of undocumented migrants onto a small, dark boat off the coast of Miami-Dade County late last month.
The incident began just after midnight on April 26, when law enforcement officials spotted a suspect vessel on radar moving west toward the Florida coast. A law enforcement boat intercepted the center-console vessel about five miles offshore. According to court records, the boat was operating without navigation lights in the dark. When officers activated their lights and sirens, the vessel slowed down and stopped.
Authorities identified 25 people on board the crowded boat, including the operator, 38-year-old Verdant Roosevelt Scott of The Bahamas. All individuals were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser for biometric screening and background checks…