A 30-year-old Cuban citizen has been accused of operating a boat that was transporting 22 irregular migrants from the Bahamas to Florida, including 13 Chinese nationals.
The vessel was intercepted by the Coast Guard and agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) off the Florida Keys, according to a federal criminal complaint reported by the Miami Herald.
The operation took place in the early morning of September 16, approximately a mile off the coast of North Key Largo, near Angelfish Creek.
According to the report, the authorities had started to track the vessel since the previous night, after the radar from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office detected it moving away from Bimini, in the Bahamas.
The researchers identify the Cuban as the alleged operator of the boat and maintain that he also did not have authorization to remain in the United States.
In the case, two Ecuadorian citizens aged 32 and 33 were also accused, who, according to the federal complaint, had previous orders of deportation.
The three are facing charges for encouraging or inducing foreigners to enter the United States illegally, a federal crime that can be punished with up to five years in prison.
A vessel with 13 Chinese citizens
CBP reported that 22 migrants were intercepted during the operation: 13 Chinese nationals, eight Ecuadorians, and one Dominican.
The vessel, a 27-foot boat with a cabin and two outboard motors, was seized by the authorities, while its occupants were transferred to the Coast Guard ship Pablo Valent for processing.
The presence of 13 Chinese citizens drew particular attention because maritime routes in the Caribbean to Florida have historically been associated with migrants from Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
Sources consulted by Fox News indicated that it is quite rare to find groups of Chinese citizens attempting to reach the United States via this maritime route.
Andrés Blanco, executive director of Air and Maritime Operations of CBP for the Southeast Region, warned about the dangers of these crossings.
"Those who attempt to undertake these dangerous journeys face detention, prosecution, deportation, and the very real possibility of losing their lives at sea," he stated.
The route between the Bahamas and Florida
The case once again shines a spotlight on the maritime route between the Bahamas and southern Florida, used to attempt irregular entry into the United States and also, according to federal authorities, by organizations involved in human trafficking.
In April, the authorities intercepted a boat with 25 migrants off the coast of Florida. There have also been cases that resulted in convictions. In August 2025, a Cuban citizen was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a case of smuggling migrants.
Lieutenant Corryn Ulrich of the Coast Guard, commander of the Pablo Valent, highlighted the coordination among the various agencies involved in the operation and assured that her teams remain prepared to "save lives and enforce federal law at sea."
The three defendants were scheduled to appear in court this Tuesday in Key West. The information available so far does not include any statements from the defendants regarding the charges or a response from their lawyers.
The case shows that the maritime routes used to attempt to reach Florida irregularly remain active. Follow the details of this and other cases in our section on
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