By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
UNITED STATES Border Patrol officials expressed concerns for their national security after another group of illegal migrants were smuggled into South Florida from the Bahamas yesterday.
Acknowledging that their investigations have proved there are links between these smuggling operations and “known criminal organisations in the Bahamas”, Lieutenant Frank Miller told The Tribune they are also seeing a disturbing trend where boat captains are forcing the immigrants overboard further out to sea, resulting in more drowning deaths.
“It’s kind of a steady, constant activity. We apprehend migrants consistently and when we do interviews most of the migrants are linked back to criminal organisations that operate out of the Bahamas.
“We think it is just because of the vicinity of the Bahamas to the United States. So these different organisations are working out of the Bahamas, that is what our intelligence is telling us. It is usually from all over the place, but because Palm Beach County is closest to Grand Bahama and West End and Freeport. That is where we believe the activity is coming from,” he said.
“There is still a concern on the national security side as well as our concern that these boat captains have very little regard for the safety of these migrants. They overload the boats and many times do not have enough life vests.
“Also, many times before they reach land, they direct them to jump overboard so that they can go in and out without being caught. This is causing an increase in drownings, particularly in people coming from Haiti. So not only is it a national security threat, it is also now a safety issue.”
Yesterday, 14 suspected illegal immigrants were taken into custody after coming ashore near MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach.
The group is believed to have been smuggled to Florida from the Bahamas and includes 12 Haitians, one person from the Dominican Republic and one Indian national.
Two persons were taken to the hospital for dehydration but were released to Border Patrol yesterday afternoon.
Last week, almost a dozen Haitian migrants were taken into custody by US Border Patrol over a two day period.
These migrants were also suspected of being a part of a smuggling operation from the Bahamas.
US Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Doug Jannusch, who is stationed in the Bahamas, said the Coast Guard is concerned about the alleged human trafficking ring operating in the Bahamas, but, he said, they are working with the government to curb the problem.
“Obviously,” he said, “any form of illicit trafficking is a concern to the Coast Guard. There have been various apprehensions between the Bahamas and Florida throughout the year. We co-operate on a number of different fronts. There are concerns about various activities, but I can not comment on them at this time.”
Late last year, two Bahamians and a Jamaican were arrested in connection with an alleged human smuggling operation in Grand Bahama.
Comments
larry 10 years, 3 months ago
what about how illegal guns and ammunition are smuggled out of the U.S into the Bahamas and other Caribbean and when these weapons are used on an American citizen they put out a travel advisory against us why are they not protecting our borders.
spoitier 10 years, 3 months ago
Exactly Larry, also, the Bahamas have enough on our hands protecting the Bahamas borders from Haitians and illegal fishing from Dominicians. This is how the US foreign policy is set up, the Caribbean country suppose to protect them from smuggling of all kinds and then the Caribbeans are on their own from gun smugglings
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
Who carries the big stick?????????
voltairehumor 10 years, 3 months ago
how old is this article? my guess at least 200 years
TalRussell 10 years, 3 months ago
Go ahead keep on blaming the US for our own home-grown-problems. I am not one for the death penalty being enforced but, if there ever was a good excuse to be hanging someone, it would be the captains and crews of these illegal human smuggling boats. What could possibly be any more inhuman than to be pushing your passengers overboard at sea, including pregnant women and children. In the meantime, life in prison without any chance of parole would be befitting to sentence these bastards to jail .I might even allow Comrade Leader "Pubic Flogg'in" Bran to hold his first Rawson Square tourists photo tak'in public, ""flog-them-before-we-hang-them" attraction.
spoitier 10 years, 3 months ago
No one in their right mind could sympathize with those captains if they get caught, however, the US can't expect the Bahamas to put more resources into this problem over the problem of gun smuggling into the Bahamas.
bigbadbob 10 years, 3 months ago
I did work with BASRA as a medic for 13 years and have rescued many smuggled persons people left in a boat drifting for 6 days no water or food , and a 18 month old baby, I have seen what's left of the poor people who were trying to get to USA , after there boat sank only a few miles off west end the sharks tore then into pieces. when we rescued and hauled in the two Bahamians who were doing the smuggling the police did not even arrest them said it was not illegal to offer some one a ride but the Haitians were jailed.
TalRussell 10 years, 3 months ago
Comrade I thank you for your contribution with BASRA who have for so many years been nothing short of a gift from God to sea goers. Many of us have had our love ones returned safely to us, all because of the unselfish assistance rendered to them by BASRA members after they experienced boat troubles at sea. I have always been puzzled how successive Bahamaland governments have been aware that human lives were, and still are, being pushed or forced by captains and crew to jump overboard, while distant from land, yet not one has ever been imprisoned with a major sentence or charged with murder.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
Henry Morgan would be right at home in the waters of The Bahamas today as he was over 300 years ago................. pirates, wreckers and smugglers still roam our seas.
Everyone pretends as this doesnt exist............. where's the LAW??????????????
John 10 years, 3 months ago
The USA needs to stop sending mixed signals: it allows Cuban nationals to enter the country and become citizens once they reach their shores. But for all other nationals of the Caribbean and the Bahamas its deportation once you are caught. Just last week President Obama said he was willing to sign a law that allows growers of medical marijuana to deposit their monies in the bank legally (even though the cultivation of marijuana is a federal offence). And while it is now "OK" to grow medical and recreational marijuana in some parts of the US, it is still considered a dangerous drug or contraband, on the high seas and can bring long prison sentences. But eventually the laws will have to be changed.
USAhelp 10 years, 3 months ago
Big difference in communist Cuba and the other countries. But not for long wish the usa would just get out of our business so we can destroy our country faster.
John 10 years, 3 months ago
that is a real dumb down statement!
henny 10 years, 3 months ago
Cuba happens to be a communist country, therefore, those reaching the US are given amnesty when approved. Travel advisories are put out to let Americans know what's going on in the Bahamas or other countries. They do not have to protect your borders. It is the Bahamas primary job to protect its own. The smuggling of Haitians and others in an overloaded boat and forcing them to jump into the water should not be condoned and those responsible should be arrested and go to trial. Too many lives have been lost. It has happened too many times.
John 10 years, 3 months ago
No one is disputing that smuggling of anything is a criminal act. But aren't human cargo also smuggled from Cuba? and isn't there also lost of life or the possibility of it in Cuban smuggling?
henny 10 years, 3 months ago
Agree with you but when was the last time you heard of many Cubans losing their life because of overcrowding or boat capsizing trying to get to the US illegally?
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