Person Taken Into Custody As Search Continues For Missing USF Doctoral Students
A person connected to the disappearance of two University of South Florida doctoral students was taken into custody Thursday after a barricade at a home in the Lake Forest community near USF, officials said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the person in custody is not one of the missing students and would not say whether they are a suspect. Officials briefly closed the Lake Forest entrance and elevated the missing-person status of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy to endangered based on new information.
Limon and Bristy, both 27 and from Bangladesh, have not been seen since April 16, USF police and family members say. Limon was last seen around 9 a.m. at his Tampa residence; Bristy was last seen about 10 a.m. on the USF Tampa campus. Family and friends say both had regular daily contact, had flights booked to Bangladesh for summer, and that the disappearances are out of character. Limon researched generative AI applications for Florida wetlands and was due to present his doctoral thesis; Bristy studied chemical engineering.
Early coverage centered on searches, family pleas and campus outreach. Later reports from CBS News and the Hillsborough sheriff's office added the custody development and the endangered classification. Authorities have not disclosed details that led to the status change and have declined to say how the person in custody is connected. Friends met with the university president seeking more information while some social posts criticized perceived disparities in media attention for students of color.
Hillsborough County had 53 active missing-person cases in April 2026, and Florida resolved about 89 percent of missing-person reports statewide last year, offering broader context as investigators continue searches. USF enrolls thousands of international students, and Bangladeshi students numbered more than 17,000 across the United States in 2023-24, underscoring the community concern. Detectives say searches continue across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and urge anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
đ Relevant Data
Hillsborough County has 53 active missing persons cases as of April 2026.
Missing Persons | HCSO, Tampa FL â Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
In Florida, there were 20,531 resolved missing persons cases and 2,457 open cases in 2026, indicating an approximate 89% resolution rate.
Missing Persons by State 2026 â World Population Review
The University of South Florida had 7,249 international students enrolled in the 2023-2024 academic year.
USF leads way as record number of international students pick Florida for study abroad â WUSF
There were 17,099 Bangladeshi students studying in the United States during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Bangladeshi Students in the United States at All Time High, Surpassing 17,000 in Record-Breaking Year â U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh
đ Key Facts
- The missing students are Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27 and from Bangladesh.
- Both were last seen April 16: Limon around 9 a.m. at his Tampa residence and Bristy about 10 a.m. on the USF Tampa campus (reports cite a student apartment and a campus science building); neither has been seen since.
- Limon is a doctoral student in environmental science who researches generative AI applications for Florida wetlands and was scheduled to present his thesis this week; Bristy is a doctoral student in chemical engineering. A lab friend said Limon had marked "work from home" on a shared calendar the day they vanished.
- A family friend alerted authorities after being unable to reach the couple; family and friends say the disappearances are "very unusual" or "extremely suspicious," that both typically maintained daily contact, and that they had flights booked to Bangladesh for the summer. Families have spoken publicly on camera.
- Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and USF police say detectives are actively following leads and searching multiple locations across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
- USF police spokesman Larry McKinnon said investigators do not believe the pair were detained by federal immigration officers.
- HCSO elevated Limon and Bristy's status to endangered on Thursday based on newly developed information, though officials did not detail that information.
- A person connected to the disappearance was taken into custody after a barricade at a home in the Lake Forest Community near USF; officials said the person is not one of the missing students and declined to say whether they are a suspect. Law enforcement briefly shut down the community's entrance and exit during the operation.
đ° Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says a person connected to the disappearance is in custody after a barricade at a home in the Lake Forest Community near USF.
- Officials state the person in custody is not one of the missing students and decline to say if they are a suspect.
- The sheriff's office briefly shut down the entrance and exit of the Lake Forest Community due to law enforcement activity.
- HCSO elevated the status of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy to endangered on Thursday based on newly developed information, without detailing that information.
- Confirms both students, 27-year-olds Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, were last seen April 16 on the USF Tampa campus, one at a student apartment and one at a campus science building.
- States that a family friend first contacted authorities on Friday after being unable to reach the couple.
- USF police spokesman Larry McKinnon says investigators do not believe the pair were detained by federal immigration officers.
- Adds details on Limon's research using generative AI to study Florida wetlands and notes the couple had discussed marriage but were focused on completing their degrees.
- CBS video piece confirms families have now spoken publicly on camera and stress that the disappearances are 'very unusual' for both students.
- Reiterates Tampa police are actively searching and that neither student has been seen since April 16.
- Adds visual and emotional context from family interviews but no new concrete investigative details beyond prior timeline reporting.
- Names of the missing students are Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27, and both from Bangladesh.
- USF Police specify last known times and places: Limon last seen around 9 a.m. April 16 at his Tampa residence; Bristy last seen about 10 a.m. April 16 on the USF Tampa campus.
- Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says detectives are actively following leads and conducting searches in multiple locations across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
- Limon studies AI in environmental science and was scheduled to present his doctoral thesis this week; Bristy is a chemical engineering doctoral student.
- Family and friends describe daily contact patterns, say both already had flights booked to Bangladesh for summer break, and call the disappearances "extremely suspicious" and out of character.
- A lab friend says Limon had put "work from home" on a shared Outlook calendar for the day they vanished, and relatives say the pair had discussed a future together but prioritized studies.