Julio Cesar Cordero Briones, 37, of North Port, Florida, was one of four experienced fishermen who disappeared after leaving Marina Park Boat Ramp in Venice on February 17, 2024. He departed about 8 a.m. on a 1995 23-foot white SportCraft motorboat, registration FL9937HC, with Angel Hernandez Munoz, Ruben Mora Sr., and Alfonso Vargas-Parra. The group expected to return that same day but did not.

Police found the men’s pickup truck and boat trailer in the marina parking lot the next morning, prompting a large multi-agency search. The U.S. Coast Guard, Venice Police Department and other agencies searched by boat and aircraft across roughly 10,345 square nautical miles. Weather that began calm became foggy, worsening into 4 to 6 foot waves as the weekend progressed. The official 60-hour search was suspended on the evening of February 19, 2024. Families have continued private search efforts and organized support for the victims’ families. There is no confirmed location of the men or the boat.

Did anyone in the area see the SportCraft or the men on February 17, 2024?