Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has raised concerns following the interception and confiscation of a Haitian “migrant” boat en route to Florida by state authorities.
Upon inspecting the vessel, which was carrying numerous military-aged men from Haiti, law enforcement officials uncovered firearms, night vision equipment, and narcotics. The Florida Fish and Wildlife offices were responsible for seizing the boat, as disclosed by Governor DeSantis.
“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,” DeSantis said.
The governor stated that the prohibition had taken place “in the recent past” within the past few weeks.
“That vessel was interdicted near the Sebastian Inlet and those illegal aliens were turned over to the Coast Guard for deportation,” he said.
DeSantis delivered the news during a media briefing where he additionally approved three bills aimed at discouraging unauthorized immigration to Florida. At the start of the week, DeSantis revealed plans to boost staff and aircraft along the Florida coastline.
This decision was prompted by the turmoil in Haiti and the likelihood of a surge in sea migration from the troubled nation. Haiti has experienced a sharp rise in violence with gangs taking control of the capital, setting fire to police stations, and targeting the primary airport.
Furthermore, gangs have raided several major prisons, resulting in the release of numerous inmates.
The governor emphasized on Friday that this had been occurring for a considerable period of time, and it constituted an escalation in enforcement rather than a fresh operation. He stated that starting from last week, in January 2023, authorities had provided support to the Coast Guard in intercepting 670 vessels transporting more than 13,500 unauthorized immigrants.
“The message is the last thing you should want to do is get on a boat and think you’re going to come through from any of these islands to get to the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
“The most likely scenario is you’ll be stopped, and you will be returned to your country of origin.”
“It’s a hazardous journey, it’s not worth doing, and we have the resources to continue to keep the people of Florida safe.”
Rebecca Zimmerman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, informed legislators on Tuesday that the Pentagon is cognizant of the potential for a mass migration occurrence, yet it has not observed significant numbers as of yet.
“I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people,” she told Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
“We recently approved some additional assistance we could provide to the Coast Guard.”
