3 Florida men who led U.S. Coast Guard on 300-mile chase caught off coast of Cuba
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Anchored pleasure boats rock in the rolling sea October 24, 2005 in Ft. Myers, Florida. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) (2005 Getty Images)
Three suspects are in custody after leading authorities on a 300-mile chase in the Gulf of Mexico.
According to a Lee County Sheriff's Office news release, authorities were alerted to a boat theft in Fort Myers Beach, about 125 miles south of Tampa, early Thursday.
When officers arrived, the suspects allegedly attempted to ram their vessel with the stolen 36-foot Invincible. The sheriff's office says the suspects then fled, outrunning local and federal authorities in an open fishing boat capable of speeds over 70 mph.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Authorities chased the suspects for over 20 hours off the Florida coast. Petty Officer 3rd Class Ashley Johnson tells the News-Press that they eventually were stopped about 65 nautical miles off the coast of Cuba.
The Coast Guard is bringing the suspects and the stolen boat back to Florida.