Illegal migrants from Haiti are reaching Florida’s shores in large numbers as human smuggling operations ramp up.
About 140 Haitian migrants came ashore Monday on Summerland Key, Florida, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) up the highway from Key West, and Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies joined federal agents in processing them.
Earlier this month, a wooden boat carrying hundreds of migrants grounded in shallow water off Key Largo, and 163 people swam ashore near the Ocean Reef Club. Many needed medical treatment, federal officials said.
Another boat carrying 176 Haitians was stopped in January just off the Florida Keys, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
