Border Patrol detains 43 Cubans after reaching land in the Florida Keys.

The U.S. Border Patrol arrested 43 Cuban migrants on Tuesday after they arrived on the shores of the Florida Keys in a small fishing boat. The group of Cubans disembarked on Sombrero Beach in Marathon, one of the most well-known areas of the Keys.

According to the head of the Border Patrol, Andrew Scharnweber, via his social media, the migrants were traveling on a wooden fishing boat registered in Havana. The shared image shows the vessel with the name "Habana" painted on one of its sides, a visual testimony to the difficult and risky journeys faced by those who decide to leave the island in search of better opportunities in the United States.

The arrival of this group of Cubans occurs in a context of increased encounters and detentions of migrants at the southern border of the United States. According to recent data, so far in fiscal year 2024, more than 208,000 Cubans have been intercepted by U.S. authorities, with over 65,911 coming from maritime crossings. In August alone, a total of 1,272 Cubans arrived by sea. Although the figures do not reach the record of 224,607 interceptions from fiscal year 2022, they remain a significant number, reflecting the desperation and risk that thousands of Cubans assume in their attempt to reach U.S. territory.

For those who are detained after reaching land, the consequences are usually severe. As has been warned on multiple occasions, migrants who manage to disembark on U.S. soil face an immediate deportation order, which excludes them from possible parole or asylum programs.

The Border Patrol, along with other response agencies, has expressed gratitude for the support received during the rescue and detention operation in Marathon. Authorities continue to urge migrants not to risk their lives at sea, as these crossings are extremely dangerous and, in many cases, deadly.

Since January 2024, Cuban rafters have continued to attempt to reach the United States in rustic vessels, despite strict detention and deportation measures. In February, 24 Cubans arrived in the Florida Keys, and some requested asylum, while others were detained. In March, another group of 24 migrants was arrested after arriving in a homemade boat, and that same month, 20 more rafters reached Florida but were detained and repatriated. In April, 14 rafters arrived in Tavernier and faced deportation, while 52 migrants were repatriated to Cuba.

In the following months, these attempts continued. In June, a Cuban family reported the theft of their boat by rafters who arrived in Miami, and in July, 33 Cubans were detained after arriving in the Florida Keys. Finally, in August, a group of 23 migrants, including three minors, was arrested after disembarking from a fishing boat, reflecting the ongoing migration crisis.

The migratory crisis of Cubans to the United States remains one of the most concerning issues for both U.S. authorities and the Cuban community inside and outside the island.