KEY LARGO, FLORIDA (VINnews) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the U.S. Coast Guard stopped a 27-foot smuggling vessel near Angelfish Creek and apprehended 23 people, including 13 Chinese nationals, officials announced.
A CBP multi-role enforcement aircraft conducting an Operation Vigilant Sentry patrol detected the boat off the Florida coast on Sept. 15. Marine interdiction agents from the Miami and Key Largo units then coordinated with the Coast Guard to intercept the cuddy cabin vessel without incident.
Those taken into custody included one suspected smuggler, a Cuban national, along with eight Ecuadorian nationals and one Dominican national, CBP said in a statement released Monday. The people aboard were transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent for processing, and the vessel was seized.
“Attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea is extremely dangerous and will not go undetected,” said Andres Blanco, executive director of CBP’s Southeast Region. “This interdiction demonstrates the strength of our maritime partnerships and our commitment to stopping human smuggling organizations before they can put more lives at risk. Those ...