Bahamian national charged for deadly human smuggling operation to Florida: DOJ

MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said an indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of Florida charging a Bahamian national for his alleged role in a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in multiple migrant deaths.

In a joint effort between the U.S. and Bahamas, authorities arrested Vandrick Nelson Smith, alias "Muggy" and "Vans," on March 6 in the Bahamas. The 33-year-old is facing charges filed in the Southern District of Florida back in November 2023.

These charges were initially sealed, until Tuesday.

The eight-page indictment details Smith's suspected involvement in a human smuggling ring. The DOJ said Smith allegedly participated in a smuggling ring that transported migrants by boat from the Bahamas to the U.S. illegally. These migrants, who came from various countries including Colombia, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, reportedly paid the organization for passage. The DOJ said Smith's alleged involvement in three separate smuggling voyages, one of which tragically resulted in five deaths.