FBI detains 3 men at Port of Miami

[Lyte]

This is jacked up!

FBI detains 3 men at Port of Miami
The Associated Press 3:50 p.m. CT Jan 7, 2007

Driver’s inconsistent statements arouse suspicion at delivery entrance

MIAMI - Three men were caught trying to slip past a checkpoint in a cargo truck Sunday at the Port of Miami, said authorities, who increased security at the busy trade hub.

A port security officer became suspicious when the truck driver could not produce proper paperwork to enter the port about 8 a.m., Miami-Dade Police Detective Richard Williams said. The driver also indicated he was alone in the truck.

Officers searched the truck and found two men in the cab trying to hide, Williams said.

The three men — two Iraqis and one Lebanese national who are legal permanent U.S. residents — were taken into custody for questioning. They had not been arrested or charged by Sunday afternoon.

The men do not appear on any terrorist watch list, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez.

A preliminary check of the truck showed its contents did not match the manifest, Gonzalez said. She declined to say what was in the truck, citing the investigation.

The Miami-Dade bomb squad moved the truck away from public areas of the port and X-rayed it.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security were also on scene. The port’s cargo area was shut down all day Sunday.

“Of course we’re on a heightened sense of security out here,” Williams said.

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.”