Martin County - Thursday February 23, 2023: The Martin County Sheriff's Office reports that 59 Haitian migrants were detained in the waters off Hutchinson Island Wednesday night.
A release from the Sheriff's office states Martin County Sheriff Deputies assisted the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol intercept a large vessel heading towards land near Sailfish Point just after 9 p.m.
The 50-foot boat named “Alpha” was carrying 27 men, 20 women, including two pregnant women, seven minors accompanied by two adults, and two unaccompanied minors. The undocumented individuals were turned over to the US Coast Guard and will be repatriated back to their homeland, and three suspected smugglers were arrested by Customs and Border Patrol, states the Sheriff's release.
Sheriff William Snyder called it “the largest number of migrants on a single vessel intercepted in Martin County waterways in the county’s history.” And the Sheriff sent a letter to President Biden urging him to address what he called "the illegal influx of undocumented aliens in our area."
In his letter to the President, Sheriff Snyder wrote that one of the Federal Officers involved in last night's incident stated that "his unit is overwhelmed and desperate for additional resources" and that "he believes that they are missing many more illegal immigrants than they are apprehending."
"With all due respect," concludes the Sheriff's letter, "I urge you to reflect on the oath you took and to dedicate yourself and your administration to protecting our borders and, by extension, protecting the citizens of this country."
