FBI probes fugitive on missing crew

By Alan Gomez, USA TODAY
Four crewmembers of a Miami fishing boat remained missing in the
Atlantic Ocean late Tuesday as FBI investigators questioned two men who
had chartered the craft and were found floating in a life raft near Cuba.

The boat — a 47-foot sports fishing yacht called the Joe Cool — was
found Sunday. Kirby Logan Archer, 35, of Strawberry, Ark., and Guillermo
Zarabozo, 19, of Hialeah, Fla., were found early Monday.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Dana Warr said the two were found on the only
life raft missing from the boat, and Warr said none of the life
preservers was missing.

After questioning the men, Coast Guard officials called for help. "We
felt … we needed to contact the FBI and let them know what was going
on," Warr said.

FBI investigators flew onto the Coast Guard cutter and accompanied the
men into the Miami Beach Coast Guard station. On Tuesday, the FBI was
consulting with the U.S. Attorneys Office and considered the two rescued
boaters as "suspects" in the disappearances, FBI spokeswoman Judy
Orihuela said.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Tuesday | MIAMI | Cuba | Federal Bureau of
Investigation | Coast Guard | Bahamas | Coast Guard cutter | Batesville
| Bimini | Guillermo Zarabozo | Independence County

The Coast Guard expanded its search for the crewmembers Tuesday,
covering about 3,500 square miles from just north of Cuba to the Bahamas
to central Florida.

The four crewmembers of the Joe Cool were the captain, Jake Branam, 27;
his wife, Kelley Branam; his half brother, Scott Campbell, 30; and
Samuel Kairy, 27, all of Miami Beach. Jake and Kelley Branam have two
young children.

"We feel there is a possibility of finding survivors," Warr said.

Archer faces theft charges in Batesville, Ark. According to the
Independence County Sheriff's Office, Archer was working as a customer
service manager at Wal-Mart when he allegedly stole nearly $100,000.

Warr said Archer reappeared last week when he and Zarabozo paid the crew
of the Joe Cool $4,000 to take them east to Bimini, Bahamas. Shortly
into the trip, the boat made several "erratic movements" and began
heading south.

Officials would not say what the two men have said, but Coast Guard
officials on Tuesday expanded their search area to include areas north
of Miami, where the Joe Cool departed from.

When asked whether the crewmembers could have gone into the water when
the boat changed course, Warr would only say, "We can't rule out anything."