Eight Americans arrested in Bahamas after authorities discover ‘high-powered weapons’ cache, ammunition

Eight Americans were arrested in the Caribbean on Tuesday after authorities found “high-powered weapons” and a “substantial quantity of ammunition” on their boat, police said.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) said in a news release that officers from the Alice Town Police Station worked with the Bahamas Customs Department to search a vessel docked at a port on Bimini, a chain of western islands some 50 miles east of Miami, Florida, on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. The officers were “acting on intelligence,” the RBPF said, but they did not specify what information they had.

The 10 occupants aboard the boat, which included eight Americans, one South African and another from Guyana, were taken into custody, the RBPF said. Those who were arrested range in age from 21 to 62, police noted. The RBPF did not identify them.

Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands and cays. Its white sand and turquoise waters make it a world-famous destination. (mr-fox)

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Weapons, ammunition and cash seized

Onboard, authorities found a trove of weapons, ammunition and cash.

During the search, officers discovered three “high-powered weapons”, 11 firearms, a substantial quantity of ammunition and a “considerable sum of undeclared cash,” the agency said. 

A view of the beach in Bimini, Bahamas, on May 1, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Investigation ongoing

The investigation remains ongoing, police said. It was not immediately clear what charges the Americans face. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. State Department for additional information.

Members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force SWAT team stand guard outside the Magistrate’s Court in Nassau, Bahamas. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The RBPF has not indicated whether more arrests are expected and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.