Authorities reported that a joint operation involving federal, state, and local agencies last Friday resulted in the arrest of at least three undocumented Cuban immigrants with criminal records in the Florida Keys, who are currently awaiting deportation.
Agents from the U.S. Border Patrol's Marathon Station in the Miami Sector, with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the Key West Police Department, and the Florida Department of Corrections, detained seven illegal immigrants, "each with an extensive criminal history," according to a statement on the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official website on Monday.
Among the seven detained individuals, there are at least three undocumented Cuban immigrants with criminal records. One faces charges of elder abuse, while the other two are implicated in trafficking methamphetamine and oxycodone, respectively. Authorities have not revealed the identities of the detained Cubans.
Officials reported that all detained undocumented immigrants were processed and transferred to the care of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where they are now awaiting deportation.
The arrests are part of a “multi-agency initiative focused on making the Florida Keys safer by removing dangerous criminals from local communities.”
U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Monroe County law enforcement arrested ten undocumented immigrants in the Florida Keys earlier this month. Among them were at least two individuals of Cuban origin, all with prior criminal records for sex offenses.
Jeffrey Dinise, Chief of Patrol for the Miami Border Patrol Sector, said, “Criminal illegal immigrants will no longer hide in the shadows of bureaucracy. In the state of Florida, we have eliminated the barriers between local, state, and federal jurisdictions, uniting as law enforcement officers to safeguard our communities and protect our nation from criminal illegal immigrants.”
“I am proud of the dedication of our Border Patrol agents and our law enforcement partners, who are committed to public safety and our border security mission.”
