Overloaded boat with hundreds of Haitian migrants makes landfall in Florida Keys

The U.S. Border Patrol confirmed that a boat reportedly carrying about 300 Haitian migrants made landfall in the Florida Keys area on Sunday.

Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar, who is in charge of the Miami region, tweeted that the migrants were believed to be part of a smuggling operation. 

Slosar said on Sunday that the boat was carrying approximately 300 migrants, many of whom were in need of medical attention. He specified that 163 of them swam to shore after the boat started to sink.

He shared two photos of the incident — one of the boat filled with migrants while they were in dire need of help and another with them on shore, wrapped in blue and white striped towels.

#BREAKINGNEWS: SMUGGLERS OVERLOAD VESSEL!#BorderPatrol agents & partner agencies are responding to another dangerous situation in the #FloridaKeys involving approx. 300 migrants…many in need of medical attention, 163 of them swam to shore. @USCGSoutheast @CBPAMORegDirSE pic.twitter.com/cK0fILl3fI

— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) March 6, 2022

Videos shared by the U.S. Coast Guard showed agents taking part in a joint operation to assist the migrants. It said the incident took place off off Ocean Reef in Florida. 

The Coast Guard said that “initial reports show that the people involved in this suspected smuggling venture are Haitian.”

In a statement on Twitter, The Coast Guard District Seven Lt. Cmdr. Jason Neiman said, “Our priority is keeping everyone safe after this dangerous voyage and grounding. Multiple agencies responded quickly and worked closely to protect a lot of lives today.”

Our priority is keeping everyone safe after this dangerous voyage and grounding. “Multiple agencies responded quickly & worked closely to protect a lot of lives today.” – Lt. Cmdr. Jason Neiman, #CoastGuard District Seven. @mcsonews @MyFWC @MiamiDadeFire pic.twitter.com/4SrZSgLShK

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) March 7, 2022

This comes after the political and economic conditions in Haiti have continued to deteriorate in the aftermath of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last July. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, Coast Guard data shows that total interdictions across all of the agency’s districts are on track to match those in 2016. However it added that the maritime figures are small compared with those for attempted land crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.