160 Haitians Leap Off Miami Freighter

About 160 suspected illegal immigrants from Haiti leaped off a freighter on the Miami River, setting off a mad scramble by U.S. agencies to capture as many as possible, officials said. A Miami police spokeswoman said a customs agent received an anonymous tip at about 2:45 p.m. that contraband was being unloaded from the freighter on the river near downtown Miami. When he went to inspect, he saw dozens of men, women and children leaping off the boat, some directly onto the shore and others into the water. Police said the Haitians appeared to have been brought to Miami, crammed aboard the boat, as part of an operation to get them into the United States illegally.