Florida becoming easy alternative over Mexican border for illegal migrants
Florida becoming easy alternative over Mexican border for illegal migrants
by AJ Walker
Tuesday, May 14th 2019
https://cbs12.com/resources/media/95...?1557861626609
Florida becoming an easy alternative over Mexican border for illegal migrants. (WPEC)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Billions of dollars are being spent each year to secure our border with Mexico.
As individuals and entire families try to make the U.S. their new home, Border Patrol agents are working harder than ever to keep them out.
While there's increased attention on securing the southern border with Mexico, Florida’s coastal border is wide open and that open border is under siege.
In nighttime video CBS 12 obtained from Border Patrol, a boat full of migrants were being smuggled into Palm Beach County.
Experts tell us those now frequent fearless attempts to get into Florida illegally are going to start happening more often.
The reason: as the Trump Administration, continues a severe crack down on illegal immigration, Border Patrol facilities on the southern border are bursting at the seams.
ILLEGAL MIGRANTS LOOKING TO FLORIDA
CBS12 News Investigates found with heightened security at our southern border, there's an anticipated increase in people trying to enter the U.S. illegally through Florida.
“When you can’t get in one place, you’re going to look for another opportunity," said Lisa Ruth, a former CIA officer who specializes in intelligence and security.
We have learned Border Patrol is requesting more funding for Florida and Customs and Border Protection is looking at how to train more agents for air surveillance that would spot migrants and mules before they reach our shores.
Ruth said even with what is now billions of dollars being spent to secure Florida’s border, it is not enough.
"It would require a financial and human investment that, it’s just unrealistic,” said Ruth.
“You really can’t secure this border."
"Even if you have the Coast Guard out there, you know they do a great job, and you have Air and Marine operations, they do a good job, then you have the Border Patrol, it would still be a difficult mission to say that we have stopped every boat coming in that's smuggling people and contraband," said Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Peter Daniel.
Daniel takes on this mission every day and some days it pays off more than others.
In footage we obtained from Border Patrol of 19 migrants being smuggled by boat to Fisher Island near Miami, it showed how quick and easy it is to get into the U.S. through Florida.
Border Patrol says with the help of local police, agents caught 18 of the 19 migrants and turned them over to ICE for removal.
But for every capture, there is an unknown number of migrants who make it across and stay.
WHY FLORIDA?
"This landing site here at Ocean Reef Park in West Palm Beach is a great example of how smugglers can use boats after they depart the Bahamas with illegal aliens or contraband and make landfall right here in the United States, right here on the Florida beach undetected," Daniel explained as we toured the park with him.
Ruth said the single most important tool in securing Florida’s coast is border intelligence.
"We would get that through the Bahamas, or anybody who is running them across."
Both Ruth and Daniel suggested keeping a close eye on the Bahamas because of its close proximity to Florida.
They explained many migrants go to the far northwest corner of Grand Bahama Island and pay smugglers to take them by boat a mere 60 miles straight across to Palm Beach County.
With all of the other boat traffic on the waters surrounding the state, boats smuggling migrants can easily go undetected.
"Looking for one boat in the entire vast ocean is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. That is one of the biggest challenges that we have is just the sheer size of our area."
Our research found, there are only 130 border agents patrolling the 1,200 miles of Florida’s coast. Compare that to a 1200-mile distance on our southern border, there are 11,000 border agents patrolling the same distance.
Fewer resources make it harder for Border Patrol agents to stop migrants from sneaking across Florida’s border and makes the sunshine state a much more attractive option than the Mexican border.
Border patrol works closely with their counterpart Air and Marine Operations.
They also work with the U.S. Coast Guard to spot migrant boats.
https://cbs12.com/news/cbs12-news-in...legal-migrants
