In September 1996, the mother and son fled Nassau, the Bahamas, before the Bahamian authorities could question them in the disappearance of a banker.

On 7 September, the migrants were transferred to cutter Manitou and later transferred to Bahamian authorities in Freeport, Bahamas.

Bahamian authorities warned merchants to look for banknotes that lacked the distinctive watermark.

He was deported the same day via overnight commercial flight, accompanied by Bahamian authorities and United States agents of the FBI to Miami, Florida.

Because the Haitians were discovered in Bahamian territory, Bahamian authorities will have the responsibility of repatriating them to Haiti.

Bahamian authorities told the Reuters news agency that several hundred Haitian immigrants were intercepted in Bahamian waters in recent weeks.

With the Bahamian authorities looking the other way and all the local inhabitants scared off or forcibly removed, the island became a haven of debauchery for Lehder and his associates.

Three days after that, 278 Haitians were spotted by Bahamian authorities on a beach on Flamingo Cay, stranded after their boat had drifted for nearly a week.

On May 16, everyone was deposited on Great Inagua Island and turned over to Bahamian authorities.