Florida Officers Stop Haitian Vessel Headed to US Shores, Discover Night Vision Gear and Firearms Aboard

Efforts by Florida to thwart illegal immigration from Haiti were underway prior to announcements by Gov. Ron DeSantis this week of his state’s increased security efforts.

A vessel from Haiti was intercepted two weeks ago with 25 refugees aboard, DeSantis said during a news conference in Winter Haven on Friday.

These Haitian refugees did not present the typical image of ragged people huddled on a makeshift raft of lashed-together innertubes and 50-gallon drums.

Rather, video showed an apparently well-equipped boat with four large outboard marine motors.

Onboard with the refugees were guns, drugs and night vision equipment, DeSantis said.

Trending:

Missouri Teen’s Life Hangs by a Thread After Vicious High School Beatdown Caught on Camera

He said the Haitians were turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard for deportation.

Despite Florida’s beefed-up security, the governor and former GOP presidential candidate lamented the relative ease by which Haitians could get to Mexico and then walk across the border with essentially the blessing of President Joe Biden and his administration.

“Our Florida Fish and Wildlife officers interdicted a vessel that had 25 illegal immigrants — potential illegal immigrants — from Haiti in their boat,” DeSantis said.

“In their vessel they had firearms, they had drugs, they had night vision gear and were boating very recklessly, which would potentially endanger other folks,” he said.

Authorities stopped the boat at Sebastian Inlet on Florida’s Atlantic coast, about 80 southeast of Orlando.

Joining Florida Fish and Wildlife officers who made the interdiction were other agencies, including the Indian River County Sheriff’s Department, which on March 1 released a video showing the stopped craft.

Although initial reports indicated 24 immigrants were aboard the vessel, DeSantis said there were 25. The date of the incident shown in the video was Feb. 29.

Related:

State Lawmakers Unanimously Pass Anti-Squatting Bill to Permanently Close Infuriating Loophole

On Wednesday, DeSantis announced more border security efforts on the part of state agencies, including the Florida State Guard and the Florida National Guard.

On Friday, he signed three bills to combat illegal immigration.

“Our folks have been doing this [enforcement] before we augmented this [increased effort],” the governor said during the news conference.

“And they’re going to continue to do it, and we’ve got an incredible amount of resources that are now on display to be able to prevent [illegal immigration],” he continued.

“Now what’s different today than maybe in the past?” DeSantis said. “Well, part of it is we have more resources that the state has been willing to put up.

Should the United States allow more Haitian migrants in?

“And this is not really our responsibility – this is the federal government’s responsibility. Coast Guard does by and large a good job, but they’re undermanned, they’re underresourced. So we’re filling those gaps.

“I think one difference now is — and we see this with our folks that we have at the border — you have people coming across the southern border from all over the world. Haitians can get to the United States easier by flying to Mexico and walking across the border.”

The governor predicted when flights resume from Haiti, most refugees will fly to Mexico “and then come in through the border, knowing that Biden will just let everybody in.”

And on it goes, as every world crisis seemingly allows Biden and other Democrats to secure more illegal-immigrants-to-be-turned-into-party-voters in their continuing efforts to remain in power and undermine the republic.


A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:

 

“We don’t even know if an election will be held in 2024.” Those 12 words have been stuck in my head since I first read them. 

 

Former Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn recently made that comment to Floyd Brown, founder of The Western Journal. 

 

And if the leftists and the elites get their way, that’s exactly what will happen — no real election, no real choice for the Electoral College, and no real say for the American people. 

 

The Western Journal is fighting to keep that from happening, but we can’t do it alone.

 

We work tirelessly to expose the lying leftist media and the corrupt America-hating elites.

 

But Big Tech’s stranglehold is now so tight that without help from you, we will not be able to continue the fight. 

 

The 2024 election is literally the most important election for every living American. We have to unite and fight for our country, otherwise we will lose it. And if we lose the America we love in 2024, we’ll lose it for good. Can we count on you to help? 

 

With you we will be able to field journalists, do more investigative work, expose more corruption, and get desperately needed truth to millions of Americans. 

 

We can do this only with your help. Please don’t wait one minute. Donate right now.

 

Thank you for reading,

Josh Manning

Deputy Managing Editor

 

P.S. Please stand with us today.

Tags:

, , , , , , , , , , ,



Source link