Nine migrants come ashore in Miami Beach

Nine migrants — one woman and eight men — came ashore Monday morning in Miami Beach.

The group arrived at 24th Street and Collins Avenue.

Border Patrol agents, who suspect a smuggling operation, inspected the 24-foot boat on which they arrived as onlookers gathered at the beach.

The nine migrants include five people from India, two from Jamaica, one from the Bahamas and one from Haiti, said Frank Miller, Border Patrol spokesman.

Miller said the boat was seized and the migrants are being interviewed. The boat is believed to have come from the Bahamas, Miller said.

Tourist Rudy Roca told Miami Herald news partner CBS4 that she wasn’t surprised by the news.

“People are not leaving this country, people are coming to this country,” Roca said, “and when they are from India or other third world countries they want to come here for a better opportunity far better than anywhere else.”

This story was originally published February 9, 2015 at 6:36 AM with the headline "Nine migrants come ashore in Miami Beach."