Illegal immigration is on the rise

Last updated on: 7/15/2007 3:30:21 PM by NBC2 News

LEE COUNTY: The recent arrival of 30 Cuban immigrants raises the attention of US Assistant State Attorney Doug Malloy.

Malloy said, "Smugglers think that there aren't as many patrols on our coast. This idea is what is making Southwest Florida more popular to human smugglers than Miami."

The little Gasparilla Island incident is the fourth time in several months that Cuban immigrants have been found coming illegally into Southwest Florida.

In April, 7 immigrants were found on Cayo Costa. Six men and one woman used a raft to reach our shores.

Two months later, in June, two more cases occurred, both at Knapps Point on Sanibel Island where more than 30 illegal immigrants were found.

In light of recent events, Collier County authorities have begun to take action as well, to increase border patrol.

In the past several weeks alone, deputies have seized several boats and have taken multiple people into custody in question with their involvement with human smuggling operations.

Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter said that "illegal immigrants are putting a strain on county wide resources."

Last year, the legislation introduced a new law that made it a felony for captains to ignore orders from federal officials to stop a boat in US waters.

This law is what prosecutors called a "powerful weapon."

7,000 Cubans were known to attempt voyage last year. More than half of them made it.


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