really through a huge stretch reporter: italian police arresting two survivors on suspicion of being part of the human traffickers cramming these migrants onboard. since the beginning of this year more than 35,000 refugees and migrants have crossed the mediterranean. the majority landing at italy and greece. a staggering number that european governments worry could surpass last year s total. when approximately 219,000 refugees and migrants sailed across the mediterranean, the u.n. refugee agency estimates nearly 3,500 of those migrants died at sea. and already today the italian coast guard is reporting that they have rescued 446 migrants off the coast of ka lab ra. among them 100 women and 50 children alisyn. the numbers are staggering ben. thank you for that. back here at home president
day. so far the italian coast guard today has rescued 446 migrants off the coast, and apparently among that number 100 women and as many as 50 children. this daily number of arrivals underscores the fact that this crisis is only getting worse. this morning a desperate fight of survival playing out in international waters, and thousands of migrants fleeing home ground gripped by poverty. more boats may be in distress in the mediterranean. this has horrific tales begin to emerge on monday night surviving what may have been the worst migrant disaster at sea between africa and europe ever.
it was creepy looking. there was no way someone could not wear it and not get all the attention in the world. it was like the worst halloween mask you could find. we learned the fbi mulligan to trap him with telephone pings. on the 8th of march when the fifth installment aired, that s when the envelope was shown. he ceased all phone calls. then on the 10th of march. they saw he left his apartment, the phone pinged near beaumont texas. then no penging at all. common sense in louisiana. they couldn t find him here. then on march 13 jt the w.j. marriott he checked his voicemail twice. fbi went there. they saw him in the lobby. he said, i got my passport up in my room. they took him to his room. there some things were in plane sight. that mask 446 $100 bills a. cell phone not activated yet. brand-new, a map showing florida
apartment. and the phone pinged near beaumont texas. then no pinging at all. common sense said louisiana. they couldn t find him here. then on march 14th, this hotel right behind me he checked his voicemail twice. fbi went there. they saw him in the lobby. they asked him for i.d. he said i ve got my passport up in my room. they took him up to his room and there some things were in plain sight, that mask 446 in $100 bills, a map showing florida and cuba. and that s when he was arrested after that. now, we also want to say that the defense stood up and said after he was arrested prosecutor from los angeles within hours, and a detective from los angeles, within hours, interrogated him for three hours, according to the defense. and now there s a preliminary hearing in a week and a half. fascinating. jean casarez, appreciate it. jeffrey toobin joins me now. first of all, that mask.
how difficult is this going to be in terms of getting the right kind of equipment there, apparatus and discerning the mapping? well, it s going to be difficult. certainly going to be as difficult as the search before, but this new area is just a little larger than the u.s. grand canyon. it s about 446 kilometers long. this new search area is 650 kilometers long. it s about three times as wide as the grand canyon and that s what we liken it to. however, in this situation, the united states has already mapped, not in relation to this crash, some of the ocean floor and have searched the two mapping vehicles there and with this new contract, they want up to three submersibles that will be towed, so it will go a lot faster than the blue fin. still be a year that they have budgeted for this search, searching the grand canyon