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MIAMI (AP) - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say four Haitians who survived a fatal smuggling trip off the coast of Miami have been released from custody.
Spokesman Nestor Yglesias told The Miami Herald ( http://hrld.us/1fU2pG6) on Tuesday that the four Haitians "have been processed and are no longer in ICE custody." He declined to say where they are.
They were among 15 passengers crowded into a 25-foot vessel that left the Bahamas before capsizing near Miami on Oct. 16. Four women died. Someone onboard called 911 and the U.S. Coast Guard found 11 survivors. They were taken into custody and six were charged with attempted smuggling and returning to the United States after they'd been deported.
On Monday, relatives and advocates rallied for their release.
The government has launched an investigation into the incident.
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Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.com
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
