18 Cuban migrants in a wooden fishing boat come ashore in the Florida Keys at Big Pine
A group of 18 migrants from Cuba landed in the Florida Keys Friday morning, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.
The 15 men and three women arrived in Big Pine Key in the Lower Keys around 7 a.m., said Customs and Border Protection Division Chief Adam Hoffner.
“We appreciate the tremendous support from our law enforcement partners in Monroe County,” Hoffner said in a statement. “Multiple law enforcement agencies quickly responded to the incident and provided assistance.”
The migrants came ashore in a homemade wooden fishing boat called the Aliuska, he said. They told agents they left from the Matanzas region of Cuba two days ago.
Migrant landings and stops at sea by the Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations have increased significantly over the past two years.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 4:47 PM.
