The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), along with local, state, and federal authorities, halted a vessel off the coast of Miami-Dade which contained more than two dozen illegal migrants and two alleged human smugglers, the agency announced this week.
The incident occurred on April 19, as the Air and Marine Operations Center in Miami-Dade County “notified partner agencies of a possible human smuggling operation approaching the coast.”
“Miami-Dade Police Department conducted an initial stop of the vessel and was assisted soon after by other local, state and federal agencies, including U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and CBP Air and Marine Operations,” an FWC press release reads.
“Aboard a 60-foot yacht were approximately 30 migrants of Haitian nationality and two alleged human smugglers. All were taken into custody and turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard for repatriation. One of the suspected smugglers was transferred to Homeland Security Investigations custody,” the press release added.
More via the release:
On Jan. 6, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order #23-03 (Emergency Management – Illegal Migration), activating the Florida National Guard and directing state law enforcement agencies and other state agencies to provide resources in support of local governments responding to the alarming influx of migrants landing in the Florida Keys and providing additional support toward efforts to prevent further migrant landings on Florida’s shores.
In response to heightened concerns regarding illegal immigration in south Florida and the Florida Keys, FWC officers have intensified their vigilance and surveillance efforts. Under Governor Ron DeSantis’ directive, 23 additional officers and eight more seacrafts [sic] have been deployed to reinforce the existing presence in the region.
“Our law enforcement is working diligently with local, state and federal partners to address the influx of migrants in the Florida Keys and along the coast through increased surveillance efforts and resources,” FWC Executive Director Roger Young said in a statement, thanking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “for his leadership in addressing this important issue.”
DeSantis celebrated the success of the latest operation, noting that they have stopped 14,000 illegal aliens since January 2023 as a result of their efforts:
In March, DeSantis announced that law enforcement intercepted a vessel carrying Haitians who were armed with guns, drugs, and night vision gear. The action from participating agencies ultimately prevented another 25 migrants from entering the Sunshine State illegally.
“In their boat, in their vessel, they had firearms. They had drugs. They had night vision gear and were boating very recklessly which would potentially endanger other folks,” the governor said at the time, noting they were “interdicted near the Sebastian inlet.”
“And those illegal aliens were turned over to the Coast Guard for deportation. So our folks have been doing this before we augmented this, and they’re gonna continue to do it,” DeSantis added.
The news comes as Florida has beefed up its personnel in the southern portion of the state as part of Operation Vigilant Sentry.
Speaking in March, DeSantis said, “In January of 2023, I did an executive order declaring it to be a state of emergency and so we surged vessels to be able to assist the Coast Guard.”
“Our efforts have led to the interdiction of 670 vessels, carrying over 13,500 illegal aliens,” the governor revealed at the time, although that figure now stands around 14,000, given his most recent update.