(The Center Square) – Miami Sector U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents continue to apprehend a record number of foreign nationals attempting to enter Florida illegally, including over the weekend citizens of the Republic of Georgia. They’re also apprehending previously deported single, military age men with extensive criminal records.
In February, Miami Sector agents apprehended 352 illegal foreign nationals and reported 33 “gotaways” and 1,821 “turnbacks,” according to preliminary data obtained by The Center Square from a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent. The agent provided the information on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation; it only includes Border Patrol data and excludes Office of Field Operations data.
“Gotaways” refers to those known and reported to illegally enter the U.S. primarily between ports of entry, who intentionally evade capture by law enforcement and don’t “turn back” to Mexico or Canada by land, or in the case of Florida, turn back by sea. Neither gotaways nor turnbacks are apprehended.
These numbers are down from record highs reported in January and December, and after the Miami Sector reported a 500% increase in apprehensions in fiscal 2022 compared to fiscal 2021.
But the nationalities of those entering illegally continues to expand. Over the weekend, Border Patrol apprehended three citizens of the Republic of Georgia attempting to enter the U.S. illegally near Miami. Their vessel was seized and an investigation is ongoing, Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar said.
Federal, state and local law enforcement agents in Florida are increasingly apprehending primarily single, military age men, as are Tucson Sector agents in Arizona. Miami Sector agents and U.S. Coast Guard personnel are also breaking up violent altercations at sea, rescuing people from overloaded and sinking boats, and arresting primarily male MS-13 gang members from Nicaragua and El Salvador, as well as Mexican and Columbian nationals and others registered as child sex offenders.
On Saturday, in Clearwater, Florida, Border Patrol agents arrested a previously deported Mexican national “with an extensive criminal history that includes Aggravated Battery, Assault with a Weapon & multiple DUI arrests” who’d entered the U.S. illegally in Texas and made his way to Florida, Slosar said.
Border Patrol agents and Coast Guard crews are also continuing to apprehend a steady flow of Cubans and Haitians.
On Tuesday morning, 17 Cuban men made landfall in the Florida Keys and were apprehended, Slosar said. That’s after Border Patrol agents and law enforcement partners on Saturday responded to two vessels landing at the Dry Tortugas National Park and apprehended another 48 Cubans.
U.S. Coast Guard crews patrolling the Florida Straits, Windward and Mona Passes continue to interdict illegal activity. From Feb. 17-24, they alone prevented more than 235 foreign nationals from entering the U.S. illegally by sea, primarily in the areas southwest of Marguesas Key, southeast of Upper Matecombe Key, and southeast of Marathon.
They’re also continuing to deport, or repatriate, foreign nationals illegally entering Florida.
On Sunday, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark’s crew repatriated 75 Cubans.
Last Friday, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered’s crew repatriated 49 Haitians and two Bahamians. The day before, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Venturous’ crew repatriated 206 Haitians.
“Illegally migrating to the U.S. by sea is dangerous and deadly,” Petty Officer 1st Class Nicole Groll, Coast Guard District Seven, said in a statement. “Illegally migrating by sea may disqualify you from the new parole programs announced earlier this year.”
Their efforts are on track to break last year’s apprehension records.
From Oct. 1, 2022, to March 3, 2023, Coast Guard crews apprehended 3,567 Haitians attempting to illegally enter Florida. That’s over half of the number of Haitians apprehended in all of fiscal 2022 of 7,175.
Fiscal 2022 saw record numbers compared to 1,527 Haitians apprehended in fiscal 2021 and 418 apprehended in fiscal 2020.
From Oct. 1, 2022, to March 5, 2023, Coast Guard crews also apprehended a record 5,846 Cubans – nearly as many as they did in all of fiscal 2022 of 6,182, according to Coast Guard data.
