United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the return of an indictment charging Michael Andrew Milano, a 42-year-old resident of Merritt Island, with 25 counts of human smuggling.
The indictment also includes provisions for the forfeiture of any property associated with the offense. If convicted, Milano could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count.
According to court documents, the alleged incident took place on February 29, 2024, when Milano, accompanied by a companion, traveled from Brevard County to The Bahamas in a 42-foot fishing vessel.
Upon reaching The Bahamas, Milano reportedly loaded 25 non-U.S. citizen Haitian refugees onto the vessel before returning to Florida. During the journey back to the United States, Milano is accused of forcing all 25 illegal aliens to remain flat on the deck of the vessel.
The situation came to light later that evening when officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission conducted routine safety inspections in the Intracoastal Waterway/Indian River region near the Sebastian Inlet.
Upon boarding Milano’s vessel, they discovered the refugees still lying flat on the deck. Prompt response from federal and local law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard, ensued.
The U.S. Coast Guard took custody of the refugees for processing and to return them to their own country.
It’s important to note that an indictment is merely a formal charge, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was thoroughly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with support from various law enforcement agencies. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
