Speed boat stolen from Fort Myers Beach recovered off Cuban coast

FORT MYERS, Fla. – A 36-foot go-fast boat stolen from Fort Myers Beach early Thursday morning was recovered 65 miles off the coast of Cuba Thursday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Three men were taken into custody.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office was conducting overnight patrols targeting boat thieves when they received notification of a theft in progress near the area of Old Pelican Bay Drive, the department said in a press release.

“Upon sight of law enforcement’s arrival, the suspects immediately fled the scene after attempting to ram a sheriff’s office boat,” the department said. “The Lee County Sheriff’s Office then contacted the Coast Guard to inform them of the incident on the water and requested assistance in the pursuit of the thieves as they fled towards international waters.”

Deputies pursued the boat, capable of speeds up to 75 mph, for approximately five miles into the Gulf of Mexico, but the boat outran authorities. After pursuing it for over 300 miles, the Coast Guard caught up to the vessel.

The names of the suspects involved in the incident were not immediately released.