More than 100 Haitian migrants on a sailboat make landfall in Key West
MIAMI - More than 100 migrants were picked up by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Key West early Wednesday morning after coming ashore.
Federal authorities said that 118 Haitian migrants were taken into custody at about 4 a.m after arriving on a large sailboat.
A law enforcement source told CBS News Miami that the group landed on Higgs Beach and it consisted of 91 men, 22 women, and nine children, totaling 122 people — a slight discrepancy with the official count from U.S. Border Patrol.
Another slight discrepancy, the Monroe Co. Sheriff's Office said there were 117 migrants; 87 men and 30 women and children.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel Briggs II, acting chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol, said a number of agencies were involved in the operation.
Key West, FL; At approximately 4:00 a.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents with support from federal, state & local law enforcement partners responded to a migrant landing & encountered 118 Haitian migrants. Local EMS is on scene evaluating the individuals. #haiti #florida #keywest pic.twitter.com/5y9FAGamMr
— Samuel Briggs II (@USBPChiefMIP) June 26, 2024
An image shared by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office showed dozens of migrants sitting down on what appeared to be a sidewalk; another photo showed the group getting on a bus as local police escorted them.
One child and one adult were taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to CBS Miami's news partner The Miami Herald.
The sheriff's office said the migrants told deputies that they had been at sea for seven days.
The migrants were taken to the U.S. Border Patrol processing facility in Dania Beach.
"As the Representative for the Florida Keys, the security of our community is at risk of another mass migration event from Haiti due to the rampant gang violence and the mass release of thousands of violent criminals from the country's jails," said Rep. Carlos Gimenez in a statement. ",,,I demand the Biden Administration implement a comprehensive strategy to address the unrest in Haiti and prevent this security crisis from impacting South Florida families."