In Coral Gables, the tree-canopied streets remain as pristine as ever, the Mediterranean-style homes just as grand, and the city’s police officers make regular rounds through the neighborhoods. It seems an unlikely place for a human smuggling operation. 

Yet, in recent weeks, two major busts resulted in nearly 50 migrants—mostly Chinese—being detained after arriving by boat from The Bahamas. Their arrests, along with seven men suspected of being smugglers, took place just blocks from the city’s most expensive homes, where real estate ads boast eight-bedroom, 10-bath mansions bedecked with tennis courts, infinity pools and no bridges to the bay. 

Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak said his department has fortified patrols along the city’s coastline, including dispatching marine patrol units and manning officers with drones and night-vision goggles. 

“We continue to work with state and federal partners in the apprehension of smugglers and to protect those trying to come ashore,” Hudak said. 

The saga began on Jan. 17, when a woman was driving south on Old Cutler Road near Snapper Creek Lakes.

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coral-gables/article299695954.html#storylink=cpy