State authorities said on Friday that Florida law enforcement had recently intercepted a boat carrying twenty-five Haitian migrants. The vessel was intercepted "within the last couple of weeks," according to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R).
DeSantis said at a news conference that "they had guns, drugs, night vision gear, and were boating very recklessly, which would potentially endanger other folks" in their boat.
The migrants were handed over to the Coast Guard for deportation, according to DeSantis, after the boat was intercepted close to the Sebastian inlet.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Department said in a statement that on February 29, police had stopped a boat that was carrying "multiple illegal Haitian immigrants, guns, drugs, and night vision equipment." According to the agency, officials "immediately" realized they had "intercepted a human smuggling operation" after intercepting the vessel.
In response to the ongoing political unrest and street violence in Haiti, DeSantis said on Thursday that Florida will be sending more law enforcement personnel to the state's southern areas in case of a potential migrant wave.
The governor of Florida said at a news conference that he had signed three measures that addressed illegal immigration in the state. In addition, he said that prior to the statement on Thursday, the state had been inspecting vessels and that law enforcement will "keep doing it."
DeSantis said that it is "not really" Florida's duty to boost its resources in order to counter the migrant inflow and attacked the federal government for failing to accept accountability.
He said, "We have got an incredible amount of resources that are now on display," and went on to say, "The Coast Guard does a good job overall, but they are undermanned and underresourced, so we are filling those gaps."
DeSantis used the speech to criticize President Biden's border policies. He claimed that because they know that "Biden will just let everybody in," migrants from all over the world—including Haiti—will find it easier to "walk across the border" and enter the country than they will anywhere else.
DeSantis said at a news conference that "they had guns, drugs, night vision gear, and were boating very recklessly, which would potentially endanger other folks" in their boat.
The migrants were handed over to the Coast Guard for deportation, according to DeSantis, after the boat was intercepted close to the Sebastian inlet.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Department said in a statement that on February 29, police had stopped a boat that was carrying "multiple illegal Haitian immigrants, guns, drugs, and night vision equipment." According to the agency, officials "immediately" realized they had "intercepted a human smuggling operation" after intercepting the vessel.
In response to the ongoing political unrest and street violence in Haiti, DeSantis said on Thursday that Florida will be sending more law enforcement personnel to the state's southern areas in case of a potential migrant wave.
The governor of Florida said at a news conference that he had signed three measures that addressed illegal immigration in the state. In addition, he said that prior to the statement on Thursday, the state had been inspecting vessels and that law enforcement will "keep doing it."
DeSantis said that it is "not really" Florida's duty to boost its resources in order to counter the migrant inflow and attacked the federal government for failing to accept accountability.
He said, "We have got an incredible amount of resources that are now on display," and went on to say, "The Coast Guard does a good job overall, but they are undermanned and underresourced, so we are filling those gaps."
DeSantis used the speech to criticize President Biden's border policies. He claimed that because they know that "Biden will just let everybody in," migrants from all over the world—including Haiti—will find it easier to "walk across the border" and enter the country than they will anywhere else.
