KEY WEST, Fla. – Nearly a dozen Cuban migrants are now in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol after making landfall Monday at a beach in Key West, authorities confirmed.
Samuel Briggs II, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol - Miami Sector, confirmed that authorities responded to a “migrant landing” at Higgs Beach, where they encountered 11 migrants from Havana, Cuba.
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The group arrived on a small boat.
Briggs did not release any information on the migrants’ age, gender or identity but did confirm that an investigation is ongoing.
On the state level, an increased number of law enforcement officers continues to be detailed to the Florida Keys after Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in January 2023. The executive order to beef up resources was renewed at the end of October.
Local 10 News reporter Janine Stanwood contributed to this report.