Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper

The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review

Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
News >  Nation/World

Boats carrying 48 migrants make landing in Florida Keys

March 4, 2023 Updated Sat., March 4, 2023 at 8:15 p.m.

Cuban migrants being held at Dry Tortugas National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. A boat with rust- and green-colored lettering reading “Solo Dios Sabe” (Only God Knows) was one of two boats that may have carried a group of 48 Cuban migrants to shore at the  (U.S. Coast Guard/U.S. Coast Guard/TNS)
Cuban migrants being held at Dry Tortugas National Park on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. A boat with rust- and green-colored lettering reading “Solo Dios Sabe” (Only God Knows) was one of two boats that may have carried a group of 48 Cuban migrants to shore at the (U.S. Coast Guard/U.S. Coast Guard/TNS)
By Howard Cohen Miami Herald

MIAMI — A boat with rust- and green-colored lettering reading “Solo Dios Sabe” (Only God Knows) was one of two boats that may have carried a group of 48 Cuban migrants to shore at the Dry Tortugas National Park Saturday morning.

According to a tweet and images released by Walter Slosar, chief Border Patrol agent for the Miami sector, U.S. Border Patrol and law enforcement agents responded to a migrant landing via two boats in the Florida Keys.

Among the 48 migrants, two were juveniles, according to Slosar.

By late morning, the group was on the park grounds and overseen by officials. The boats, including one with a cabin and engine, are recovered.

The migrants were awaiting transfer to a Border Patrol facility on Key West for medical screenings, said Adam Hoffner, division chief of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Miami operations on Saturday afternoon.

Dry Tortugas National Park was briefly shut down earlier this year after about 300 Cubans arrived before New Year’s Day. Another group of 22 from Cuba made landing in late February.

Dry Tortugas National Park is on a cluster of seven islands of 64,700 acres about 68 nautical miles from Key West. The park, accessibly only by boat or seaplane, is under federal jurisdiction.

The Spokesman-Review Newspaper

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds.

Active Person

Subscribe now to get breaking news alerts in your email inbox

Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens.