Man Rescued In FL Plane Crash Accused Of Smuggling Cocaine
(Washington, D.C) -- A passenger aboard a plane that crashed off the Florida coast has been arrested. A federal complaint says Jonathan Gardiner, one of the 11 Bahamian adults rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Air Force on Tuesday, was charged with one count of cocaine import conspiracy. The complaint alleges that he was carrying a brown paper bag containing 30-thousand dollars in Bahamian currency. The cash was labeled with the name of a Bahamian politician who was previously arrested in connection with receiving a large shipment of cocaine from Colombia. Gardiner also had three phones on him when the plane went down.
Nine Rescued Off Brevard County
(Indialantic, FL) --Nine boaters are safe thanks to a cruise ship off Brevard County. Carnival Cruise Line says its Mardi Gras ship rescued nine boaters in distress Saturday off Sebastian Inlet. The ship's crew members called the Coast Guard when they saw the boaters flying a distress flag. The nine were brought onboard and taken to the Bahamas where they disembarked yesterday.
Concern Over Shorebirds As Memorial Day Approaches
(North Lido Beach, FL) -- There's concern in Sarasota County over a protected species as Memorial Day approaches.Over a thousand black skimmer birds are nesting at North Lido Beach just as large crowds are expected for the upcoming holiday. Audubon Florida has put up signs directing people away from the nests. Abby O'Donnell works with Audubon Florida, and she says black skimmers are very important to keeping a balanced ecosystem.She tells Fox 13 News if we give them a safe area to nest, they'll likely keep coming back year after year.
Local Cubans React To News Of Possible Attack
(Miami, FL) --The conflict between the US and Cuba could be escalating. Axios.com reported yesterday Cuba may use drones to attack Guantanamo Bay or possibly Key West. Dr. Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat is with the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, and he tells CBS News Miami drones are very precise, devastating weapons. Some locals are skeptical, though, because Cuba knows any attack would lead to retaliation. Still, some local Republican lawmakers are taking the report seriously. Congressman Carlos Gimenez says Cuba's threats against our security must be taken seriously, and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart says it's clear the Cuban regime is a national security threat.
Today in History
2012, the Facebook social networking website made its debut as a publicly traded company. The company began trading at 38-dollars a share on Nasdaq. The initial public offering made founder Mark Zuckerberg the 29th richest person in the world.
1980, Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state erupted after lying dormant for more than 100 years. The explosion killed more than 55 people and destroyed 160-thousand acres of forest. Geologists say the eruption was 500 times as powerful as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War Two.