by Bethany Blankley
Border Patrol agents in the Miami Sector continue to apprehend foreign nationals with criminal records who are already inland, living in Florida towns.
Miami Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Walter Slosar said that agents working with law enforcement officers in Fort Pierce apprehended a Honduran national illegally in the U.S. The Honduran was in possession of firearms, miscellaneous drugs and U.S. currency. He was apprehended during a traffic stop.
In Orlando, Border Patrol agents arrested a Bahamian national who was wanted by INTERPOL. They learned he had an INTERPOL Red Notice and was wanted for drug trafficking in Germany. He was processed for removal and will be extradited to Germany, Slosar said.
In another instance, Miami Sector agents from the West Palm Beach Station worked with law enforcement partners to arrest a previously convicted narcotics trafficker who is closely affiliated with known Mexican cartels. He was found illegally residing in Florida and “does not deserve to be in our communities,” newly appointed Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said of him in a statement.
Agents from the West Palm Beach Station & their law enforcement partners arrested a previously convicted narcotics trafficker. This subject was closely affiliated with known cartels in Mexico & found illegally residing in our country. He does not deserve to be in our communities. pic.twitter.com/8ZVjO1y7Bl
— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) July 13, 2023
These apprehensions of known criminals aren’t included in the thousands apprehended by CBP Office of Field Operation agents at ports of entry. Fiscal year to date, OFO agents encountered more than 15,000 people with criminal convictions, up from roughly 6,500 in fiscal 2021. In fiscal 2022, they apprehended nearly 17,000.
Miami Sector Border Patrol agents are also seizing illicit drugs with the help of Good Samaritans. They recently seized 70 pounds of cocaine first discovered by a recreational boater in the Florida Keys. In another recent instance, a Good Samaritan found a 2.7-pound brick of cocaine while boating in the Florida Keys, called Border Patrol and agents seized the drugs. The combined drugs’ street value was estimated at more than $1 million.
These efforts are in addition to Miami Sector Border Patrol agents engaging in regular apprehension efforts to catch foreign nationals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. by sea, not at ports of entry. Last month, they apprehended 794, according to preliminary data The Center Square obtained from a Border Patrol agent. The data excludes OFO data; when official data is reported, including OFO data, the total is always higher.
Agents also reported 119 gotaways last month – foreign nationals who agents detected had illegally entered the U.S. but evaded capture. They don’t know who or where they are. They also don’t know how many illegally entered they didn’t detect.
They reported 24 who died last month attempting to illegally enter the U.S. by sea.
Border Patrol, CBP, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Coast Guard have all been regularly issuing announcements stating, “Anyone who unlawfully attempts to reach the U.S. mainland or territories by sea, or who enters by sea unlawfully, will not be permitted to remain in the U.S.”
In line with this policy, U.S. Coast Guard crews are continuing to repatriate Cubans, Haitians, Dominican Republicans and others after interdicting them at sea off Florida’s coast. From July 31 to August 7, Coast Guard crews repatriated 103 people, it recently announced. The previous week, crews repatriated 88.
“Attempting to enter the U.S. unlawfully by sea may disqualify you for lawful immigration pathways,” the Coast Guard warns maritime migrants. “You will be rescued or repatriated back to your country of origin.”
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Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square.
