Situation ‘dire’ as Coast Guard seeks 38 missing off Florida

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON
Associated Press

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. government has launched a criminal investigation into whether a smuggling ring is behind a boat that capsized off Florida with 40 migrants onboard. The Coast Guard said Wednesday that one survivor and one body have been found and it is continuing to search past nightfall for the other 38 migrants. U.S. Homeland Security Investigations said it suspects a smuggling ring was behind the voyage. The boat capsized Saturday, shortly after it left the Bahamas, but was not found until Tuesday. Officials have not said what country the migrants are believed from, but the Bahamas is often a stopping off point for people fleeing Cuba or Haiti.