Area man held in Trinidad

By Staff
Posted 7/1/09

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Cue the theme to “Gilligan’s Island.”

It was supposed to be a three-week cruise.

But, according to news reports, Harbin Stanton Jr. of Robertsdale and eight other Americans have been detained by Trinidad and …

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Area man held in Trinidad

Posted

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Cue the theme to “Gilligan’s Island.”

It was supposed to be a three-week cruise.

But, according to news reports, Harbin Stanton Jr. of Robertsdale and eight other Americans have been detained by Trinidad and Tobago’s Customs and Excise Division.

It’s not going to be a three-hour cruise and there's nothing funny about it.

According to reports, the nine men left Lafayette, La., planning to take three 72-foot long shrimp boats to French Guiana, north of Brazil. June 3.

The boats encountered two storms and engine trouble on the way. They stopped for fuel at Galetota Point, on the southeastern tip of Trinidad.

While reports vary, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard may have had to rescue one of the vessels, the Champayne, on June 24.

What is known is that the three vessels were searched by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and several firearms and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition were found.

The men’s passports and other identification were seized and the men were turned over to Customs and Excise. The weapons have been taken by the T&T Coast Guard pending the outcome of an investigation.

When contacted, a staffer Congressman Jo Bonner’s office said there was “no comment’ on the situation.