If you like fish and wildlife content, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future videos. On November 14th, 2024, a Florida fish and wildlife officer received a complaint for a barge that sank in the Florida Keys. Officer Allen made a phone call to the owner, a 58-year-old male named Argelio. The barge is down in Pine Town. Yeah. What uh what's going on with that? I just found out that was my breakfast this morning. Okay. Was uh was anyone on it? Is it It sounds like it maybe was was here before. I I don't know much about it right now. No, I was there. I was waiting for a permit that was about to come out for the job right next door to it and start that work right there, but now I get hit with this. So, I'm I'm already calling other uh another barge to come out there and start getting everything ready. All right. Um, and luckily there was no oil or no on it. Okay. They I I wasn't out here. I guess it it went went down last last night. Maybe midnight or so. That just they just told me that last night. Okay. Who? Oh, they told me that this morning. I found out this morning. Who Who was it that that contacted you? The Coast Guard. Okay. All right. Um, so yeah, it was I'm guessing no no one was on it or anything like that. It was just Docked here. Yeah, I was just waiting for the job next door to come out. Okay. Um All right. Uh yeah, keep me updated with uh with the removal and whatnot. Um where where are you at? Are are you down here? Are you uh local? I am I am coming down from Miami. Gotcha. All right. Um I really wasn't expecting this, huh? I gotcha. Yeah, we've had some some rough winds the last couple days. So, um, well, give me I wish I I wish somebody would have told me something before if they would have seen it offset or something. God, man. Yeah. I I mean, I didn't see it. I know it's it's been here for a while. I've seen it going going back and forth, but uh Yeah, I'm just waiting for that permit to come out. Gotcha. All right. Well, hey, uh do me a favor. Will you give me a shout when uh when you're when you're getting into like Marathon or so? When you get, you know, about an hour out or something like that. Um I I'll meet up with you and and we'll uh we'll make sure it gets handled. All right. Not a problem. Not a problem. All right. Thanks. Thank you, sir. See you. After nearly two months, the barge was yet to be recovered and was classified as a derelict vessel. With a warrant for Argelius's arrest, the officers alongside the United States Coast Guard met him at the property. Sorry, man. I got caught on another call down the road. Yeah, it's not not even noon yet, huh? Not even noon yet. So, what are what are your thoughts? Well, I already made a phone call. We're uh getting one of the bars down here. I'm going to get uh I'm going to get your busy curtain. So once we start doing everything, put everything all around. Usually when you start stabling everything out, a little bit of oil starts coming up and I don't want a problem. I need to get absorbent pads just in case anything does come out of the crane. Okay. Cuz I know on the barn I had nothing else. I had a couple of bindings and there was some wood over here in the side. I pulled it out of the water. Was it How How long has it been here? It's been here for about a month and a half. Okay. [Applause] [Applause] Yeah. I don't know if uh Coast Guard has been in contact with you. Yeah. But keep up with them, too. Absolutely. Absolutely. I think we're going to I guess I just called him before you getting here. I told him I was here in case he wanted to come out and see me. He told me, "No, just give me your email address." There was no sheen. There was nothing really. So, yeah, that's what I figured. So, just so you know, I've got to work this as a boating accident because technically it it's a boating accident. Um, there's, you know, nothing criminal or anything like like that as far as I know right now. So, it is it's just going to be a boating action report saying, "Hey, there was a boat here." Uh, because the barge is technically a vessel for for definition. Um, so it's be hey, it was here. the wind, the weight, the the poles that you had. I'm guessing those broke loose and it just What I'm thinking is they told me there was a lot of wind. I'm thinking the waves came over the other side. Started coming over. It came over too much. Went into one of the compartments. Yeah. Went down. And there compartments on the top then. There's There's one, two, three, and then on the other side four, five, six. Oh, okay. It just got overwhelmed. I guess the only thing I can got like insurance on it or whatever. I don't know what what uh what that looks like, but for that's what I was wondering, but you know, uh, in case you want the report or whatever, let me grab that for you. There you are. Like I said, that that top number is case number in case you need to reference the report for any reason. Um, it'll be a while before it goes in. It'll be at least 60 days from when all this is concluded. myself um way before. But yeah, just give me a shot when uh pisses me off cuz I'm constantly helping other people pulling their bar to go out of the water and get it. No good deed, right? All right, man. Keep me keep me updated. All right. Hey, Angel. What's going on? Anything new? Huh? Anything new? I got I got a plan B now. What's plan B so far? I got another barge that says they're I just sent them the the address today that they're calculating the the distance to get over here. How far how far are they coming from? Miami. Yeah. Yeah, that's kind of what I figured. Yeah, cuz nobody around here has anything big enough. Yeah, it's all small equipment and they can't they can't carry that crane. Yeah, that thing's not little. So, they're bringing a a 40 ton crane. Okay. which is more than I was going to say what how what's the reference? How big is that one? Oh, that's 25. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. But by the time we start taking everything apart, actually I was on the phone before getting over here. It was I sent them the address and they were calculating how much fuel they were going to use and cuz I Gotcha. Give you an estimate on how much else. Yeah. Okay. So, that's where I'm at right now. On Monday, I'm coming out here and I'm taking the tugboat away from here. So, because they're worried about the list that it's had there ever since the beginning. Yeah. Where you got an idea where it's going? Well, I got another job in Summerland, which the barge was supposed to be there if this wouldn't happen. You want to get off the road? Yeah. So, I'm taking it over there on uh Monday, which I told them that I was going to get out of here. Okay. So, they're worried about there's like I think they want to get out. Yeah. Here. All right. So, you got someone possibly coming down from Miami. Well, he's he's my brother, so Okay. All right. Um, and the tug is going to Summerland. You said this? Yes. Okay. All right. Well, just until he gets here, then I got to bring it back cuz it's got the pumps and everything on it. I'm going to on Monday before coming over here for you for to move it. I got to get the new registration on it because I know it's expired. Yeah. Uh, before I move it from there. I was going to say, have you gotten it uh renewed? I'm going to get it renewed Monday morning. Okay. All right. Yeah. That's been Yeah. Was hoping at some point you get it renewed. But um uh look man, we we got a warrant for you. You've been cool with us. We're going be cool with you. But look, we got a warrant. The the barge hasn't moved. It's been two months. The crane's got to go. We We got to We got a whole process. We got to get through this. All right. So, you're going to pick me up now? Yes, sir. This time, sir, you wouldn't mind putting your hands behind your back and facing away from me. Can I at least park my truck somewhere? Uh, do you mind if we park it here? We'll call uh I think it's Eric is the is the owner. He's going to have a tow if he So, like I said, is for the crane and for the barge. All right. Um the the bond, is that what you're asking? Yes. Uh I think it's 30. I I'll have a copy of it uh for you. Um we go down to Stock Island. We'll go from there. Right. Can I make a phone call at least? Yeah. So, we'll we'll grab your phone. You got a phone in your in your pocket or anything like that. It's in the truck over there. Okay. Piece of the truck. We'll we'll grab that. Throw gloves on. Um we'll we'll grab a phone. When you get down there, you'll be able to make a phone call. Um they'll they'll let you use your phone to get contacts and stuff. Um but that's uh I said step by-step process. All right. So, we got we'll get you get you in the truck. Um, we'll see. Do you have someone that could come get the truck? Is there any way somebody can drive it to across the road over there? To another house? What do you mean across the road? Yeah. To the to on the other side of Little Torch? You have someone over there that'll that can pick it up? No, but I can leave it over there. Okay. We're not going to be able to drive it that far. I I can maybe park it in the driveway and someone can can come get it. And I'll I'll I'll call the owner. I'll say, "Hey, if you you know, if you got someone that can come get it, then I'm I'm sure he'll be fine with you leaving it there for a couple hours or whatever it takes to get someone to come get it. I'll let you make a phone call. If you if you got someone that that you think can come get it, I I'll let you call now and start start getting them rolling." Yeah. Let me let me Yeah. Okay. Where's your Where's your phone at? Oh, yeah. Is there anybody there with you or you're by yourself? My wife, can you come and pick up my truck? I mean, yeah. It'll take me here in Chicago. Yeah. Is that okay? Um, yeah. I mean, as long as you can come get it. All right. I need a three grand for the barge the tank. Yes. When did that pop up? I just When did this pop up? When did the warrant get signed? Yeah. Wednesday. It was Wednesday. I I'm I'm I'm the one I'll I'll tell you right now. I'm the one that wrote it. It's my case. Um, it's been two months and it hasn't moved an inch. I We got a We got a process to get through. It's It's We We're just getting through it. All right. Yeah. So, where are they taking you to? Stock Island. Stock Island. She already did. Yeah. Well, I going now. Yeah. Believe me right now. All right. All right. It'll be done. Okay. Let me ask you a question. Is there an address in Stock Island where they can leave the truck so when I get out? Uh, I think there's regular parking there. I'll I'll double check when we get down there. Um, all right. So, you're going to take the phone with? Yeah, you can take the phone with you. Like I said, they'll they'll give you an opportunity to get your contacts, whoever whatever phone calls you got to make. Once you get booked in, they'll give you your phone back. You can't use your phone, but you can use the contacts on there. And they've got a phone that you can use. Make sense? All right. Like that. That's their rules. It's not my rules. The reason why I'm asking is because he marked the number for me or you marked the number for me if I'm out because if he can drop my truck off over there when I get out, I can go ahead and get back in the truck. Yeah. So, when we get down there, not there's the only person I have is from Miami. Look, we'll we'll be down there in a half hour. He's coming from Kargo, right? So, I'll I'll double check when we get down there. Um, and you'll be, like I said, when you get booked in, you'll be able to make a call and we'll let them know like, "Hey, you can bring it down there." I That should be fine, but I don't want to tell you without confirming it. All right. All right. Um, so we'll be able to confirm that. Is there anything else that you need out of here? No. The key is that the key for the truck? Yeah. All right. Knock knock. Um, the truck's going to stay there as long as that's okay with you guys. Like I said, he's all right. He just called someone said they they'd be coming down. If they don't show up in a day, we'll have a tow. Yeah, I figured that was that was the plan. So, I'm guessing he'll want it. He said he's going to try and bond out. He's going to need a ride when he gets out anyway. He said he's going to try and have them move it down to the jail so he has when he gets out. So, all right. In the end, Argelia was arrested for the derelict vessel and cited for an expired registration. Initial reports indicate that his charges were associated with commercial dumping and derelict vessel violations. However, the court records are confidential and only show that he was charged with at least one felony. Archelio has had a string of felonies in Monroe County with seven different cases dating back to April of 2024. At a later date, he was charged with grand theft after receiving a $35,000 deposit for dock work that he never did. For a long time now, Florida has had a derelict vessel problem and has been making diligent efforts to go after their owners. If you like this video and want to see more like it, subscribe to Arrest Cam. As always, thanks for watching.