Cozumel, Q. R. — A plane carrying passengers of several nationalities was returned to its origin for trying to enter the country with false documents. An unnamed charter aircraft that landed at Cozumel International last weekend at 7:00 p.m. from Port-au-Prince was forcefully sent home after immigration said the passenger passports were fake.
The incident happened July 30, but was not made public until now. According to available information, the suspected case of human trafficking happened when the private plane of 142 were found in possession of apocryphal documents by Mexican immigration officials at the airport.
The National Migration Institute (INM) requested the support of military, state and municipal police when the passengers and crew refused to leave, saying the airport at Port-au-Prince was closed.
They also argued that their plane did not have enough fuel to return, at which point Cozumel authorities refueled their plane and had them back in the air for 2:00 a.m. Sunday.
INM officials reported reviewing documents of 124 Haitians, eight French, five Chileans, four Brazilians and one Austrian passenger. Of those, 73 were men, 50 were women and the balance, minor children between the ages of 5 and 10.
