MIAMI.- Governor Ron DeSantis reported that a group of 25 haitians aboard a ship was intercepted near the coast of florida, at a time when state authorities intensify efforts to stop the arrival of migrants from Haiti, a country that is currently facing a severe crisis.
During a press conference in Polk County, where DeSantis signed three new pieces of legislation aimed at limiting illegal immigration, the governor mentioned the arrest that was recorded days before the announcement of sending state forces to control the arrival of immigrants through the Florida Keys.
The boat, detained in recent days by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission near Sebastain Inlet, in the east-central part of the state, was transporting Haitian citizens. On board, authorities found drugs, weapons and night vision equipment, DeSantis said.
DeSantis had announced the deployment of more than 250 police officers in the Florida Keys to prevent a possible wave of migration from Haiti, exacerbated by recent acts of gang violence that have left the country in a state of paralysis.
Particularly in Port-au-Prince, the situation is critical, with gangs having taken control of approximately 80% of the city after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, closing the port and airport and displacing thousands.
To bolster security, Florida has mobilized a diverse set of forces, including state law enforcement officers, members of the National Guard and the Florida State Guard, in addition to deploying aircraft, vessels and drones to intercept migrants.
DeSantis emphasized the importance of protecting Florida residents in the face of the Haitian crisis, and put into context the repatriation of 131 migrants by the US Coast Guard since October, and highlighted the state’s support for the Coast Guard in the detention of 670 vessels with more than 13,500 illegal migrants since January 2023.
