A smuggling boat carrying Chinese nationals and other migrants was intercepted off Florida by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard in what officials described as a rare and “extremely dangerous” attempt to enter the United States by sea.
CBP confirmed the interdiction exclusively to Fox News and released video and photographs showing US authorities stopping the vessel. The 27-foot cuddy cabin boat was carrying 22 illegal immigrants, including 13 Chinese nationals. All those aboard were arrested without incident Tuesday near Angelfish Creek, close to Key Largo, Florida.
The agency said a CBP Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft initially spotted the vessel. CBP and Coast Guard personnel then carried out the interdiction, arresting one suspected smuggler—a Cuban national—along with 13 Chinese nationals, eight Ecuadorian nationals and one Dominican national.
Sources told Fox News that attempts by Chinese nationals to enter the United States through maritime routes in the Caribbean are highly unusual. Those routes have more commonly been used by migrants from Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. During the Biden administration, Chinese nationals generally crossed the southern border by land through California and Texas, routes now facing stricter enforcement under the Trump administration.
Andres Blanco, executive director of the Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region, told Fox News that “attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea is extremely dangerous and will not go undetected.”
“This interdiction demonstrates the strength of our maritime partnerships and our commitment to stopping human smuggling organizations before they can put more lives at risk,” Blanco said.
He warned that people who undertake such voyages face “arrest, prosecution, removal, and the very real possibility of losing their lives at sea.”
The migrants were transferred to the US Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent for processing, while authorities took possession of the seized boat.
Following the operation, Coast Guard Lt. Corryn Ulrich, commanding officer of the Pablo Valent, told Fox News that “the US border remains secure due to highly capable teams and coordinated interagency enforcement.” She added, “we remain ready to save lives and enforce federal law at sea.”
According to CBP, its Air and Marine Operations unit works to anticipate and counter aviation and maritime threats to the nation’s security.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet Thursday in Washington, DC.
Gordon Chang, a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, claimed that Xi is considering a war with the United States and preparing Chinese troops “for battle,” despite public efforts by both leaders to highlight positive relations.
“Xi Jinping keeps on talking about going to war against us… and also he’s preparing China’s society, civilian and military, for battle. And we think we’re at peace,” Chang said Sunday on “Fox News Live.” “So, this is a very dangerous period for us.”
Chang made the comments after reports that China assisted Iran in attacks that killed three US service members in Jordan earlier this summer.
The maritime interdiction also comes as the Trump administration faces renewed scrutiny over its immigration enforcement policies. The debate intensified after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot a Venezuelan illegal immigrant in Austin on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security said the man, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, “illegally entered the country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal during a law enforcement operation.”
Perez’s lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, disputed the DHS account, saying he entered the United States lawfully. DHS said Perez survived the shooting, remains in stable condition and is being held in federal custody pending removal. The incident has sparked large protests in Austin, while Democratic politicians have condemned ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement approach.
