Three men are facing a slew of charges for reportedly robbing a lobster trap and attempting to flee state wildlife officers in Layton on Aug. 22.
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation (FWC) officers said they saw three men on a boat near a lobster trap line. Officers said they saw a diver handing lobsters to individuals on the boat as they moved along the trap line. The diver returned to the vessel after clearing all traps and began riding back to the dock, officers said.
FWC officers attempted to stop the vessel, but the operator sped up. When they reached the entrance to their destination, they dumped the stolen lobster into the basin before returning to the boat dock, where they were arrested: Enrique Airado, 67, of Cutler Bay; Luis M. Airado, 61, of Cutler Bay; and Carlos L. Castillo, 63, of Hollywood.
“FWC Aviation spotted and investigated this incident,” said FWC Capt. David Dipre. “The aircraft is our eyes on the water. It can be in places our officers cannot go in boats without being observed and provides an advantage our officers in boats do not have.”
The three men face several felony charges, including trap molesting, fleeing and eluding law enforcement and tampering with evidence. They also face a misdemeanor court of interfering with FWC officers.
