Miami, Jan 18 (EFE).- The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) reported this Wednesday the increase in monitoring of its coasts due to “massive migration” detected and after the declaration of a state of emergency by the Governor, Republican Ron DeSantis.
The FDEM, whose objective is to “prevent loss of life at sea and deter maritime migration,” works in conjunction with the Florida National Guard, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) , the Highway Patrol (FHP) and the Department for Law Enforcement (FDLE).
Following the arrival on these shores of numerous emigrants by sea, mainly Cubans and Haitians, Governor DeSantis recently declared a state of emergency and ordered the deployment of the National Guard.
This measure allows the mobilization of National Guard troops and the allocation of large new state resources to face the migratory wave that is affecting the south of the state.
The head of the Miami Sector of the Border Patrol (CBP), Walter N. Slosar, reported on Twitter that 15 Cubans were intercepted today along with a rustic boat after a call alerting them to the presence of migrants in the area.
Slosar announced that since October 1, 2022, the Miami sector of CBP experienced an increase compared to the previous year of up to 400% of people who arrive by sea irregularly and are detained upon disembarking.
The deployed forces maintain increased surveillance of the Florida coasts to stop any attempt at irregular immigration, a control that includes the collection of resources such as 2 pallets of bottled water and 250 meals ready to deliver to intercepted or detained migrants.
In addition, agents who navigate and patrol at night have night vision goggles and infrared units for added security, FDEM said in a statement.
According to this division, the National Guard has mobilized some 150 reservists, 12 aircraft and has already carried out 83 sorties with a total of 217 flight hours, in its “reinforcement” mission of the Coast Guard and the FWC in the Straits of Florida.
For its part, the FWC has assigned five patrol boats on the high seas, in addition to the deployment of other “maritime assets” and 35 vessels in the Keys, in the southern tip of this southern state.
FHP has deployed 31 officers, six unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), two aircraft and a mobile command bus in support of ongoing operations, while FDLE has some 200 officers in Monroe County, where they belong. the Keys.
Since October 1, 2022, the date on which the current fiscal year began, the US Coast Guard has intercepted more than 4,900 Cubans by sea, while in the entire previous fiscal period, 6,182 migrants were detained from that nationality. EFE
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