UPDATE: This story has been updated to include a statement from Border Patrol.
Border Patrol agents in Florida took three illegal migrants from China into custody Saturday after the group used a boat to make landfall on a popular Florida beach in a suspected smuggling attempt.
The group washed up in Hillsboro Beach, according to a tweet posted by Miami Sector Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar. In less than a week, Border Patrol reported over 150 encounters by boat of mostly Cubans, according to Slosar’s twitter. (RELATED: Dozens Of Illegal Migrant Children Go Missing In Houston)
The illegal migrants departed from Nassau, Bahamas on a fishing vessel, Miami sector Border Patrol Spokesperson Adam Hoffner told the Daily Caller News Foundation. The incident is currently under investigation and the group was processed for removal proceedings, Hoffner added.
Three Chinese nationals were taken into #BorderPatrol custody after making landfall at Hillsboro Beach. Agents with support from @CBPAMORegDirSE & @browardsheriff responded to a suspected maritime smuggling event late Friday evening. The investigation is ongoing.#cbp #florida pic.twitter.com/jcqhkcDxmq
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) September 3, 2022
The sector has seen a recent influx of migrant crossings. Between October and July, border authorities in the sector encountered 2,499 migrants, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statistics.
Cuban migrants, who have also arrived by boat, make up the majority of sector encounters in fiscal year 2022. On Monday, Border Patrol took 15 Cuban migrants, whose boat landed in Haulover Beach, into custody.
CBP authorities last encountered two other Chinese migrants in the sector in December, according to CBP. There have been 674 Haitian migrants encountered in the sector between October and July.
#HappeningNow: U.S. Border Patrol agents along with @CBPAMORegDirSE & local LE partners responded to a migrant landing at Haulover Beach, FL this morning. 15 Cuban migrants (13 adult males/2 adult females) were taken into custody. No injuries reported. #cuba #florida #LaborDay pic.twitter.com/z1ufcokNjg
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) September 5, 2022
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