Suspect says he wanted to get family out of Cuba

Suspect says he wanted to get family out of Cuba
By Jacob Ogles
jogles@news-press.com
Originally posted on August 24, 2006

One of the men accused of human smuggling in federal court told authorities
he was just trying to get his wife and daughter out of Cuba.

Juan Gonzalez-Hernandez told border patrol agents after his arrest that
he approached friend Noel Lopez weeks ago about finding a way to bring
his family to Miami, according to a federal complaint.

Lopez would not talk with authorities.

According to Gonzalez-Hernandez's account, Lopez agreed to go by boat to
meet a group of Cubans fleeing the country and bring them to the United
States, but only if Gonzalez-Hernandez went with him.

The men took a 25-person Angler boat and picked up 20 Cubans at Pajarito
Beach in Pinar del Rio.

After one other stop for food, the boat landed at Jolley Bridge in
Collier County where the Cubans got off the boat on Aug. 16.

Lopez and Gonzalez-Hernandez headed upriver to clean the vessel, but
were arrested there by Collier County deputies.

Both men were indicted in federal court on human smuggling charges.
Magistrate
Judge Douglas Frazier set a $50,000 bond for each man, and they bonded out
on Monday.

Gonzalez-Hernandez also agreed to turn the boat over to authorities, who
believe that Gonzalez-Hernandez purchased the vessel for $52,473.36 on
Aug. 2.

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