Miami-Dade County police officers patrolling the waters near Key Biscayne stopped a 60-foot yacht last Friday, uncovering a human smuggling operation involving migrants from Haiti.
The yacht was intercepted around 11:15 a.m. near the iconic Stiltsville group of homes in the shallows off Cape Florida. Following the initial contact, agencies including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Border Patrol, Coast Guard, and U.S. Customs converged on the vessel.
A photo released by the Border Patrol shows a motorized dinghy attached to the back of the yacht. U.S. Customs and Border Protection also released an image depicting the migrants cramped in a cabin below deck.
The Coast Guard placed the migrants on board a cutter to be returned to Haiti, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. One of the two alleged smugglers was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
The interdiction comes amid ongoing violence in Haiti, which has prompted concerns about a potential surge in migration. The United Nations political mission in Port-au-Prince reported over 2,500 Haitians killed or injured since the beginning of the year, with an increasing number of attacks on public institutions.
The Haitian representative to the U.N. called for the deployment of an international force to assist the Haiti National Police in combating gangs, while UNICEF highlighted the severe humanitarian crisis affecting the country. The violence has compromised health and nutrition supplies, leaving children vulnerable to malnutrition and cholera.
Friday’s interdiction follows a similar incident last week, where Customs agents intercepted a boat off the coast of Key Largo carrying 14 Ecuadorian migrants. The smuggling operation involved refueling at sea and is currently under investigation.
