At around 8 p.m. on Sunday, AMO West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce marine units received intel from surveillance assets that a vessel had departed Freeport, Bahamas, with potential illegal immigrants onboard, according to a CBP statement. The same night, a CBP aircraft located and tracked the cruiser, which was moving without navigation lights.
Shortly after, at 2:15 a.m. Monday, AMO agents aboard Coastal Interceptor Vessels intercepted the vessel about 11 nautical miles east of Juno Beach, CBP reported. The vessel stopped “without incident.”
Once aboard, agents discovered 12 individuals: two Bahamian nationals, three Chinese nationals, six Haitian nationals, and one Brazilian national. All were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered ship for identification and processing.
The operation involved coordination among AMO, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. “This successful interdiction highlights the critical importance of our multi-agency partnerships and the vigilance of our Air and Marine Operations crews,” said Andres Blanco, AMO Executive Director. “Working seamlessly with the U.S. Coast Guard, CBP partners and local law enforcement, we continue to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and secure our maritime borders, protecting both our communities and those who are often exploited by smugglers.”
West Coast Interception
On Wednesday, on the West Coast, CBP also reported that Marine Interdiction Agents, alerted by a U.S. Navy sighting, intercepted a northbound panga-style vessel operating without lights near San Clemente Island in a suspected smuggling attempt. The San Diego Marine Unit launched a response team, intercepting the vessel at 2:40 a.m.
Miami-Area Before 2025
Some of the largest Miami-area interceptions occurred in 2024. In June 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted more than 300 migrants at sea, repatriating 109 to the Bahamas and 196 to Haiti. In September 2024, the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant repatriated an additional 182 people to Haiti after an interdiction south of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Overall, migrant encounters surged 289 percent from 2021 to 2022, followed by an additional 36 percent increase between October 2022 and May 2023. The Border Patrol’s Miami Sector saw encounters rise from 1,031 in 2021 to 4,009 in 2022, and then to 5,468 during just the first eight months of 2023. Single adults accounted for the most dramatic growth, with numbers rising from 932 in 2021 to 3,246 in 2022, and to 4,709 in 2023.
