http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/07/miami.port/index.html
• FBI says three in custody after attempt to enter Port of Miami illegally
• Cargo area of port closed temporarily; passenger side remains open
• Sources say the those detained are of Iraqi, Lebanese descent
• FBI: One was driving truck without proper papers; others were hidden in trailer
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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Security at the Port of Miami was tightened Sunday after three people, two of them hidden inside a truck, allegedly tried to enter the port illegally, federal law enforcement sources said.
The FBI said the three were being held on state charges.
"The cargo area is closed for now while the FBI, Miami-Dade police, and Customs and Border Patrol search the truck container," said Port of Miami spokeswoman Andrea Muniz. "The port side handling passengers remains open."
Sunday is typically a busy day for cruise ships at the port.
Though the port as a whole remains open, cargo is not leaving the port while additional container searches are under way, a spokesman for the Coast Guard said.
Federal law enforcement sources described the three as being of Middle-Eastern descent. The driver was described as being of Iraqi descent and one of the other men appeared to be of Lebanese descent, the sources said.
One of them was driving an 18-wheeler and was stopped at the entrance for not having the proper license to drive onto the property, FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela told CNN.
Miami-Dade police conducted a secondary search after the driver gave inconsistent answers, the FBI said. The driver also allegedly said he was alone in the truck. During the search, two other people were found in the cargo container, the FBI said.
No federal charges are pending, according to the FBI. Authorities did not know whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering charges or whether the three are in the United States legally.
CNN's Susan Candiotti and Patrick Oppmann contributed to this story.
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