A boat captain was arrested Friday while bringing at least 14 immigrants to Florida, after first colliding with a sheriff’s boat trying to detain him, authorities said.
A specialized vessel from the marine unit had attempted to intercept the suspected vessel as it headed for Jupiter shortly after 9 a.m., the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) said.
“Upon making contact with the captain on board, the captain rammed the PBSO marine unit vessel damaging two engines,” the sheriff’s office said, noting that there were no injuries.
A sheriff’s office helicopter and additional marine units then helped pursue the ship, which eventually ran aground just north of the Juno Beach pier.
Capt. Bazaelius Francois, 30, was “immediately detained,” the sheriff’s office said, and they also detained 14 immigrants to be turned over to Border Patrol.
Sheriffs said the captain struck his marine unit’s boat when he tried to stop it. Facebook/PBSO – Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
Francois faces two counts of aggravated assault against a police officer, according to the statement.
It was not immediately clear if this is the same case in which Border Patrol said 17 immigrants were apprehended on a ship that landed in Jupiter on Friday. There were 16 from Haiti and one from the Bahamas, the largest country in the region. Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar said.
Border Patrol also shared a photo of a boat that brought 17 migrants to Jupiter.Facebook/PBSO – Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
The incident comes amid an influx of illegal immigration.
On average, 1,400 immigrants a day cross into Arizona illegally, US government statistics show.
Last month, 42,561 immigrants were found in the Tuscon sector, which includes Lukeville, making the region the nation’s leading point of illegal entry and the nation’s busiest border crossing.
There, immigrants can easily pass through 114 wide-welded gates.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn