345-Mile ‘Mission: Impossible’ Coast Guard Chase Off Of Florida Gulf Coast Ends West Of Cuba
An early morning Christmas Eve theft in Lee County Florida resulted in a 345-mile Coast Guard chase across the Gulf of Mexico, which ended in the successful apprehension of five thieves west of Cuba and the return of the stolen boat to its owner, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The boat was towed back to Lee County by the Coast Guard.
At about 2 a.m. on December 24, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a call that a boat was being stolen near Old Pelican Bay Drive in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. A 36-foot “Invincible center console” boat was taken from a lift where it was being stored, with culprits reportedly defeating a series of anti-theft devices.
“It was like something out of a James Bond or Mission: Impossible movie,” Mike Scott, Lee County Sheriff was quoted with regard to the 20-hour chase, by Navy Times.
The Coast Guard then took up the chase, which took it to about 125 miles from Cancun, Mexico and involved the use of the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump and three Coast Guard aircraft.
Three suspects were taken into custody who were described as “pretty well beaten up” by moderately strong seas. The group was said to not have been in possession of any firearms.
“We’re glad they didn’t have guns, that would have changed things,” Sheriff Scott stated. “They could have tried to shoot out their engines but then you run the risk of hitting someone.”
The Coast Guard was reported to have received “use of force” orders in the chase that spanned the Gulf of Mexico, but the cutter never got close enough to take a shot. The USGC William Trump is reported to be fitted with “four Browning.50 caliber machine guns and a 25 mm automatic gun.”
“We were able to get out of the way at the last second,” Nyce was quoted, reportedly while gesturing to indicate that the thieves passed within several feet of the sheriff’s boat. “Or they would have come right over us.”
Taken into custody after the chase and charged with several crimes, said to include “burglary and larceny” were 33-year-old David Llanes Vasquez of Miami, 23-year-old Farfan Ramirez-Vidal, and 25-year-old Sauri Raul De La Vega, according to NBC. Vasquez was said to have a total of 19 charges against him, “including assault, fleeing police, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless pollution.”
The names of two other suspects were not available.
The suspects were described as being “shackled” and “manacled” and that an unidentified prisoner had sustained an “obviously injured leg.” The injured prisoner was reportedly taken to a hospital to be treated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDpomQXh19s
The stolen boat was said to be equipped with three 300 horsepower engines and to be worth close to $350,000.
The theft of both boats and boat parts is a big problem along the west coast of Florida, according to Sheriff Scott. Lee County is said to be home to 44,913 commercial and pleasure boats, with 63,319 boats registered in Miami-Dade County, and 47,363 boats registered near Clearwater and St. Petersburg in Pinellas County.
Chief of Enforcement with the Coast Guard’s St. Petersburg sector Lieutenant Commander Holly Deal stated that there has been a “rash” of boat thefts along Florida’s west coast, with many boats like the 36-foot Invincible center console being “targeted.”
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
