KEY WEST, Fla. – Federal agents detained a group of 20 migrants who were stranded on Monday and Tuesday on uninhabited islands west of the Florida Keys.
Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar, of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Miami sector, reported the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection rescued eight on Tuesday in the Marquesas Keys.
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“Good Samaritans encountered the migrants & notified authorities,” Slosar wrote on Twitter, adding “#Cuba.”
There were 12 migrants in the same area on Monday, about 20 miles west of Key West, according to Slosar. He shared photos of two separate makeshift wooden boats.
Slosar has been documenting the dangerous makeshift vessels migrants are using to cross the Florida Straits.
On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast reported stopping a sailing vessel with 67 migrants from Haiti, including minors.
On Sunday, Slosar reported a group of 19 migrants spent five days at sea on a “homemade” boat before they were stranded Saturday on the Dry Tortugas islands, about 70 miles west of Key West.
The groups are part of an ongoing increase in migration from Cuba and Haiti.
This fiscal year-to-date, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection had nearly 140,000 encounters with migrants from Haiti and Cuba so far, as opposed to about 88,000 last year, according to federal data last updated in May.
Graphic: Data on migrants from Cuba and Haiti
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On Saturday, #BorderPatrol agents along with @USCGSoutheast partners rescued 19 migrants from #Cuba who were stranded on the Dry Tortugas islands, 70 miles west of #KeyWest. The group spent 5 days at sea onboard a homemade vessel that had engine failures. No injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/9RWjeY5aq8
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) June 12, 2022
#HappeningNow: Agents along with local partners are on scene at Smathers Beach in Key West, FL. 23 Cuban migrants were taken into federal custody after arriving on a homemade boat this morning. The investigation is still ongoing.
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) June 8, 2022
#borderpatrol #florida #wednesday pic.twitter.com/C7cF6rlXJw
#𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗡𝗼𝘄: Miami Sector #BorderPatrol agents responded to a migrant landing at Sugarloaf Key in the Florida Keys. 12 migrants (adult males) from #Cuba were taken into our custody. The investigation is still ongoing. pic.twitter.com/7rdhbhy23m
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) June 2, 2022
Key West, FL: 10 migrants from #Cuba were taken into #BorderPatrol custody on Tuesday evening after making landfall on a homemade vessel constructed of Styrofoam. This is a dangerous journey across the #Florida Straits onboard a homemade vessel.
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) June 1, 2022
#DontTakeToTheSea pic.twitter.com/0pTlA1Mlwl
Today, #BorderPatrol agents responded to a migrant landing in #KeyWest & took custody of 3 #Cuban nationals. The group arrived on a homemade vessel & reported that they spent over 3 days out at sea. As summer temps rise, this becomes an increasingly #dangerous journey at sea. pic.twitter.com/YcvIulo9Kz
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) May 31, 2022
#𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: 28 migrants were taken into #𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 custody during the past 12 hours. Agents & @mcsonews partners responded to multiple migrant landings in the Florida Keys involving homemade vessels. No injuries were reported. #sunday #cuba #florida pic.twitter.com/sdlwn24oYa
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) May 29, 2022
At 1:00 a.m. this morning, #BorderPatrol agents responded to a maritime smuggling event that made landfall in #KeyWest. 4 Cuban migrants (adult males) were taken into custody after they arrived on a commercial fishing vessel. #saturdaymorning #Cuba pic.twitter.com/dSnVg88ONn
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) May 28, 2022
During the past two days, #BorderPatrol agents along with local partners responded to 4 migrant landings in the Florida Keys & arrested 41 migrants from #Cuba. Since Oct 1, agents have responded to 116 migrant landings in Florida with nearly 1600 encounters.#immigration #usbp pic.twitter.com/kcHME02i9s
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) May 26, 2022