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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 27 January 2022
Situation ‘dire’ as Coast Guard seeks 38 missing off Florida

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Burdian would not provide
Associated Press any more details, saying
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — he’s now in the custody of
The Coast Guard battled the Department of Home-
time and currents Wednes- land Security.
day as its planes and ships Bimini is a small cluster of
searched for 38 people islands about 55 miles (90
missing off the coast of Flor- kilometers) east of Miami
ida, four days after a sus- and about 100 miles (160
pected human smuggling kilometers) south of where
boat capsized in a storm. the survivor was found. The
The accident killed at least capsized boat was appar-
one person and left a sin- ently pushed north by the
gle known survivor, and Gulf Stream, a warm, swift
U.S. authorities launched a current that wraps around
criminal investigation. the Florida peninsula and
Capt. Jo-Ann F. Burdian flows north along the At-
said the survivor told rescu- lantic Coast of the United
ers that the boat capsized States.
Saturday evening shortly Migrants from around the
after sailing from the Baha- world have long used the
mas into a storm. The Coast Bahamas as a stepping-
Guard was alerted Tuesday stone to reach Florida and
morning after the crew of a U.S. Coast Guard Captain Jo-Ann F. Burdian details the search of 38 missing migrants at a news the United States. They typi-
merchant vessel spotted conference, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, in Miami Beach, Fla. cally try to take advantage
the man sitting alone on Associated Press of breaks in the weather
the overturned hull of the crews on at least four ships conditions as “relatively on the vessel. to make the crossing, but
25-foot boat. He was taken and five aircraft scanned benign” until a strong cold The rescued man told the the vessels are often dan-
to a hospital with symptoms a vast area about the size front arrives on Friday. Coast Guard he was part gerously overloaded and
of dehydration and sun ex- of New Jersey, Burdian Homeland Security Investi- of a group of 40 people prone to capsizing. There
posure and turned over to said. They planned to keep gations opened the crimi- who left Bimini in the Baha- have been thousands of
Homeland Security officials, searching throughout the nal probe, said Anthony mas, Burdian said. The man deaths over the years.
who said he is “conscious day and then reevaluate. Salisbury, special agent in said the boat capsized For the most part, these mi-
and lucid.” “We are using every piece charge of agency’s Miami shortly thereafter, and no grants are from Haiti and
Burdian said finding other of information we can to office. The effort includes one aboard was wearing a Cuba, but the Royal Ba-
migrants alive is urgent. make sure we are exhaust- U.S. agents in the Bahamas. life jacket, she added. hamas Defense Force has
“With every moment that ing our search efforts,” “You’re dealing with crimi- A small craft advisory had reported apprehending
passes, it becomes much Burdian said. “But we can’t nal organizations that have been issued as a severe migrants from other parts
more dire and more un- search forever.” no value for human life or cold front blew through of the world, including from
likely” that survivors will be The weather forecast safety. It’s really victimizing the dangerous passage Colombia and Ecuador
found, she told a news con- through Thursday calls for the migrants. It’s just about on Saturday and Sunday, earlier this month.
ference. scattered rain and thunder- the money,” he said. with winds up to 23 mph (37 The Bahamas and near-
Crews searched around storms in the search area, Agents have interviewed kph) and swells up to 9 feet by Turks and Caicos Is-
the clock, extrapolating with swells cresting at 2 to the survivor, but Salisbury (3 meters). Tommy Sewell, lands have in recent years
from where the wreck was 3 feet (1 meter) and winds would not identify the man a local fishing guide, said stepped up their anti-smug-
spotted about 40 miles (64 blowing at 12 to 15 mph or his nationality, nor reveal there were high winds and gling enforcement efforts in
kilometers) off Fort Pierce. (19 to 24 kph). The National the nationalities of any oth- fierce rain squalls from Sun- cooperation with the Coast
By Wednesday morning, Weather Service described ers believed to have been day into Monday. Guard.q

Gun rights group sues California city

over liability law

Mark Sikes sued San Jose er than ban or burden the how the non-profit would
in federal court Tuesday lawful possession of guns.” use the funds. The one
after City Council mem- The San Jose City Council thing that is clear is that the
bers voted to approve the overwhelmingly approved organization will likely be
ordinance believed to be the measure despite oppo- dedicated to exclusively
the first measure of its kind sition from gun owners who preaching the negative
in the United States. Sikes is said it would violate their risks of gun ownership,” the
from San Jose. Second Amendment rights. lawsuit says.
“The law is unconstitution- Dhillon said the law also in- San Jose Mayor Sam Licca-
In this May 27, 2021, file photo, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo al,” Harmeet Dhillon, an fringes on the First Amend- rdo said that having liability
speaks during a news conference honoring nine people killed attorney representing the ment by compelling gun insurance would encour-
by a coworker in San Jose, Calif.
Associated Press plaintiffs, said Wednesday. owners to pay an annual age people in the 55,000
“The law compels people fee to a not-yet-formed households in San Jose
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A requiring citizens to obtain to purchase insurance that nonprofit that could pro- who legally own at least
gun rights group and a gun firearm liability insurance doesn’t necessarily exist mote a message they one registered gun to have
owner have filed a lawsuit and pay an annual fee. and that demonstrates that don’t agree with. gun safes, install trigger
against a California city for The National Association for this law is not a good faith “The Ordinance even pro- locks and take gun safety
a newly passed ordinance Gun Rights and gun owner attempt to do anything oth- hibits the city from directing classes. q