Posted on 01/07/2007 5:22:03 PM PST by NormsRevenge
MIAMI - Miscommunication led to the detainment of three men at the Port of Miami on Sunday after authorities became suspicious of their documentation and the contents of their cargo truck, officials said.
Authorities initially said the men — two Iraqis and one Lebanese national who are legal permanent U.S. residents — had been caught trying to slip past a checkpoint at the port's entrance.
A port security officer became suspicious when the truck driver could not produce proper paperwork in a routine inspection to enter the port about 8 a.m., Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Nancy Goldberg said.
The driver also indicated he was alone in the truck, though security officers found two other men in the cab, she said.
"Due to a miscommunication between the gate security personnel and the truck driver, we believe there was a discrepancy in the number of people in the vehicle attempting to enter the Port of Miami," Goldberg said. "This, and the fact that one of the individuals did not have any form of ID raised our level of concern."
"Maybe it could have been a language barrier; we don't know at this point," she said.
The three men remained in police custody for questioning, Goldberg said. They had not been arrested or charged by Sunday afternoon.
The men do not appear on any terrorist watch list, said Barbara Gonzalez, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman.
The truck's contents — electrical automotive parts in a 40-foot container — matched the driver's cargo manifest, Goldberg said.
The port's cargo area was shut down Sunday as the Miami-Dade bomb squad moved the truck away from public areas of the port to X-ray and scan it for radioactive materials.
More than 20 pallets containing spools of wire and other automotive parts taken from the truck were still being scanned, but no radioactive material had been found, said Jose Ramirez, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security were called to the scene, along with federal and local law enforcers, "in an abundance of caution," Goldberg said.
The Port of Miami is among the nation's busiest. More than 3.6 million cruise ship passengers traveled through in 2005. Its seaport services more than 30 ocean carriers, which delivered more than 1 million cargo containers there in 2005.
Passengers in the normally busy cruise ship area of the port were unaware of the official bustle in the cargo area. When told of the situation, some said they thought it probably made boarding lines longer. But officials said Sunday's long lines were normal.
"I feel freaked out," said Connecticut resident Allie Tetreault, 23, who was waiting to board a Caribbean cruise when she heard about the security alert. "That's not good to hear right before you are going on vacation."
___
Associated Press writer Phil Davis in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report.
A bomb squad truck and Miami-Dade County Police vehicles pass by cargo containers Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007 as they enter the Port of Miami in Miami. Security was increased Sunday at the port after authorities caught three Middle Eastern men trying to slip past a checkpoint in a cargo truck. All three men were taken into custody for questioning. They had not been arrested and no charges had been filed against them Sunday afternoon, authorities said. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
update to earlier ap article titled
3 detained trying to enter Port of Miami
At first glance this seems like the system works, to me. If it turns out this was innocent "miscommunication," Hey, no problem with being careful.
Possibly testing our security?
Thanks , there were a few going at one time..
Possibly testing our security?
Ya never know.
I watched that news conference and wondered why the police officer just didn't say the word "lied." That's what the driver did. He told a lie. He said he was alone in the truck. Miscommunication is not what happened. Are the police so PC in Miami that they are no longer able to recognize when they're being lied to?
Another Imam prayer confrontation. Look for the law suits to be filed and the port authority employees to be sent to sensitivity training.
Also, she said the driver was the one without identification. Where I live, it is against the law to drive around without your driver's license. Did he have a valid license? To drive that huge truck all the way from Michigan?
Aren't they constantly doing it?
The first report said the cargo was NOT car parts and thus did not match the manifest.I wonder where the truth lies here.
The hyperlink was supposed to cut off after comments) .
why keywords can make life easier at FR. :-)
No, local police and port security legitimately caught these people. We're now in the "move along" phase.
I have mixed feelings about this. From the police point of view, I can see why they wouldn't want a crowd of gawkers hanging over them. At the same time, I think citizens have some right to the truth and we're not getting it. We don't have to know all the details, but I think we should at least be told the basic outlines.
Did anyone on this item hear the early report about two empty 55 gallons drums? That detail disappeared in later reports.
I turned Fox News Channel off this afternoon as I grew tired hearing them hypothesize as to what might be happening.
This story just doesn't pass the smell test.
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