Five Chinese migrants captured on Jupiter coast, Border Patrol says

Nearly 40 people in the last 24 hours have been taken into custody by Border Patrol.

By Adam Sacasa Sun Sentinel contact the reporter



The U.S. Border Patrol says it's rare to find Chinese migrants in this area.


A day after 32 Haitian migrants were captured on a Jupiter beach, five Chinese migrants were captured Tuesday, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

The agency was notified about the migrants by Jupiter Police about 6 a.m.

The detained group, described as three men and two women, were found near the same area of the Haitian migrants captured a day earlier, said Frank Miller, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent for the U.S. Border Patrol.

Due to a lack of markings on the boat, authorities are investigating whether the boat the migrants left behind was stolen.

Like the Haitian migrants before them, the group was taken to the U.S. Border Patrol Riviera Beach Station to be processed for removal. They then were expected to be transferred into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Miller said.

He said it's rare that the Border Patrol finds migrants from China in this area and that the group likely arrived in the Bahamas and subsequently smuggled from there.

"The vicinity of the Bahamas to the Florida coast plays a big role in the smuggling of aliens and narcotics," Miller said.

With the Bahamas about 68 miles away, the challenge for the U.S. Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies is understanding the frequency of the smuggling events.
The back-to-back migrant landings come as part of a rise in landings since the beginning of the Border Patrol's fiscal year, which started in October.

"These are just events that we know about, that we're able to make arrests. There are other events that we don't know about," Miller said.

Miller adds that it's hard to tell what's causing the increase, but said it's likely driven by economics, primarily criminal organizations profiting off of smuggling.

He urges the public to report suspicious activity and to call the U.S. Border Patrol tip line at 954-965-6300. Callers can remain anonymous.

asacasa@tribpub.com, 561-243-6607 or Twitter & Instagram @adamsacasa

 http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/pa...818-story.html