U.S. Coast Guard pulls over Chevy truck

The National Post (Canada) ^ | 2003-07-25 | National Post news services

[DTA]

U.S. Coast Guard pulls over Chevy truck in Straits of Florida 12 Cubans aboard ═

National Post news services

Friday, July 25, 2003

WASHINGTON - The crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter could not believe their eyes.

Chugging along at a steady 13 kilometres per hour in the Straits of Florida was a bright-green 1951 Chevrolet truck with 12 Cuban migrants aboard.

The ingenious craft was kept afloat by 12 250-litre drums strapped to its sides. The wheels were still in place and the engine was running, turning a propeller attached to the drive shaft.

There was even a captain at the wheel.

"We've seen surfboards, pieces of Styrofoam, bathtubs, refrigerators. But never an automobile," Petty Officer Ryan Doss of the U.S. Coast Guard said yesterday.

The Coast Guard was called in after a U.S. government plane spotted the truck last week in the Straits of Florida, about 64 km south of Key West, just more than halfway between Cuba and the United States.

The Coast Guard took all the passengers on board. Then they sank the vessel, deeming it "a hazard to navigation."

A photograph taken by the Coast Guard shows the craft cruising on calm seas.

Several men, all wearing bright red life jackets, sat on top of the green truck. The other travellers, who included two women and one child, were apparently riding under the bright yellow canopy that covered the back of the vehicle.

Since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, desperate Cubans have tried to flee the Caribbean island on rudimentary rafts, on the inner tubes from giant trucks, in stolen boats and planes, even by windsurfer.

In recent months several planes and boats were stolen or hijacked by people trying to reach Florida.

Under the U.S. immigration policy known as "wet foot, dry foot," Cubans who manage to set foot on U.S. soil are usually allowed to stay, while those stopped at sea are routinely sent back to Cuba.

This meant the 12 Cubans who had exhibited such painstaking ingenuity in turning the truck into a boat got no marks from the United States for their creativity. They were automatically barred from entering the country and were returned to Cuba on Sunday.

The following day, the United States returned a group of people who had hijacked a boat to leave the country after Havana agreed to limit jail terms to 10 years for any found guilty of illegal migration. The boat was intercepted at sea last week.

In March, six Cuban migrants landed their homemade boat on guarded U.S. Navy property in Key West, then wandered the streets downtown before authorities caught them.

[steveegg]

Don't know if this would have fit on the original "Hold muh beer" list, but it definitely fits with the "weird" theme.

[dirtboy]

They shudda declared them dry foot and let them start their own version of Monster Garage.

[Huck]

I am interested to see the overall freeper reaction to this story, from a freedom seeker-immigration--champions of liberty standpoint.

[Semper Paratus]

Sounds more like "Hold muh Havana Club, por favor"

[DTA]

"Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose..."

They lost truck and probably will lose more - their lives.

[steveegg]

They shudda declared them dry foot and let them start their own version of Monster Garage.

Paging Jesse James. Paging Discovery Channel.

[SwinneySwitch]

At least the Canucs know how to spell STRAIT!

Previous posts had STRAIGHT!;^}

[Only1choice____Freedom]

I gotta see this one. Any Pix?

[ChefKeith]

It was a Dodge Powerwagon not a Chevy truck.

Then We send them back and sink it.

I do like the Monster Garage plan:)

[DTA]

[ChefKeith]

Check Foxnews.com I saw this last night on the tube.

[NittanyLion]

I am interested to see the overall freeper reaction to this story, from a freedom seeker-immigration--champions of liberty standpoint.

I'd happily take these people as citizens. Anyone who would risk their life to achieve liberty is okay in my book.

[NorseWood]

"Take my Chevy to the levy . . . "

[mc5cents]

My god that is a beautiful sight. They sank it??!! It should have been saved and put in a museum. Those crazy Cubans, they are an ingenious lot. Still have 50's cars running around the island. Monster Garage indeed!

[americanSoul]

YES!!!

This is a shameful policy which should be terminated at once by Bush.

[ErnBatavia]

Bummer - they sunk a classic!

[rudypoot]

"The ingenious craft was kept afloat by 12 250-litre drums strapped to its sides. The wheels were still in place and the engine was running, turning a propeller attached to the drive shaft."

They must have been watching Monster Garage on the Discovery channel. They turned a bus into a functioning pontoon boat similar to what they did to the truck.

[Chemist_Geek]

I am interested to see the overall freeper reaction to this story, from a freedom seeker-immigration--champions of liberty standpoint.

I can tell you that the "seal the boarders!" (sp) crowd will probably be happy...

On the other hand, people with that much ingenuity, motivation, and boldness - to take to sea in that! - ought to be welcomed to America.

[decimon]

I'd happily take these people as citizens. Anyone who would risk their life to achieve liberty is okay in my book.

Innovative, talented and courageous. Three strikes and you're out.