WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2022) US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) components alongside other law enforcement responded to a maritime migrant smuggling event in southern Florida involving almost 180 individuals and launched an investigation into the matter, CBP Florida said.
"This morning, before 5 a.m., (CBP) components along with our law enforcement partners responded to a maritime smuggling event involving a large group of migrants that made landfall near Ocean Reef Key Largo, FL. The investigation remains ongoing," CBP Florida said via Twitter on Monday.
The post was accompanied by a photo showing a large number of migrants on a boat, mostly men, many of whom are not equipped with lifejackets. Further details about the event and nature of the individuals involved is currently unknown.
"We're still gathering more details, since it was quite a few individuals involved... If I'm not mistaken it was about 176 (individuals)," CBP Public Affairs Specialist Alan Regalado in Miami told Sputnik.
The US Coast Guard in fiscal year 2021 intercepted 838 Cuban migrants, compared with 49 in the prior year. Coast Guard authorities in October apprehended 31 migrants and two smugglers off of the south of Key West, Florida. The Coast Guard said in a related statement they will continue to put a high priority on patrolling offshore to present illegal migration.
