Law enforcement searching for men who went missing in Gulf of Mexico

Multiple law enforcement agencies are searching for four men who have been missing since Saturday morning. 

The City of Venice says the four men left for a boating trip around 8 a.m. Saturday and did not return as planned. 

Around 8 a.m. Sunday, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) contacted the Venice Police Department to check the Marina Park Boat Ramp near the Venice Train Depot for a vehicle and boat trailer left behind by the group. Both were located at the park, according to the city. 

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City officials have identified the four missing men as Ruben Mora Sr., 54, of Port Charlotte, and Angel Hernandez Munoz, 38, Julio Cesar Cordeo Briones, 37, and Vargas Parra, 35, who are all from North Port. 

VPD’s Marine Patrol, SCSCO, the U.S. Coast Guard, Sarasota Police, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are involved in the search, spanning from Stump Pass to Longboat Pass. 

The group’s vessel is a 1995 23-foot white SportCraft, registration #FL9937HC.