For 2nd time in 2 days, Haitians land by boat in Florida

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — For the second time in two days, a group of Haitians were taken into custody Monday after landing ashore in South Florida in a small vessel in what authorities describe as human smuggling operations.

Seven people from Haiti and two people from the Bahamas were taken into custody early Monday in Palm Beach County by U.S. Border Patrol agents after the migrants’ 20-foot (6-meter) boat beached, said Jeffrey Quinones, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

An air unit from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office had tracked the vessel from 4 miles (6 kilometers) east of Palm Beach before it landed ashore, Quinones said.

The two Bahamians, who were not identified, are believed to be smugglers. Both previously have been deported after being convicted of felony smuggling.

A day before, 14 Haitians and a single Bahamian were taken into custody after landing ashore a quarter mile south of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s Florida resort in Palm Beach. After hitting the beach in the 26-foot (8-meter) boat, the migrants ran into nearby housing development where they eventually were taken into custody, Quinones said.

The Bahamian also is believed to be a smuggler, he said.

Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin of the U.S. Border Patrol tweeted that the foreign nationals will be interviewed and then arrangements will be made for them to return to their countries.

Last fiscal year, the U.S. Border Patrol in Miami apprehended 1,891 foreign nationals.