A Bahamian man and 21 foreign nationals were taken into custody Tuesday night after Bahamian authorities discovered what they believe was a human smuggling operation in progress at a vacation property in Bootle Bay, West Grand Bahama.
The group—comprised of 17 men and five women—was found at a rental home shortly after 10 p.m., following a call from officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in West End to the Immigration Department requesting assistance with a group of suspected illegal migrants.
According to immigration officials, the migrants include 10 Brazilians, five Chinese nationals, and one individual each from Germany, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, and Cuba. An additional male, whose nationality remains unknown, was found without identification. All 22 individuals were transferred to the Immigration Department’s facility in Freeport for processing.
During detention, one migrant reportedly sustained a minor injury—a sprained leg—after attempting to escape from the second floor of the immigration building.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that the group may have been preparing to be smuggled into the United States by boat. However, their plans were intercepted before they could be carried out,” immigration officials said in a statement on Wednesday.
Authorities have not released the role of the Bahamian man—believed to be a resident of Hawksbill—nor the status of the unidentified man lacking documentation.
Human smuggling remains a persistent issue in the northern Bahamas, particularly on Grand Bahama and Bimini. In a similar case earlier this year, 22 migrants and two Bahamians were intercepted in Florida waters after departing from Bimini.
Investigations into the latest incident are ongoing.
