(Miami) More than a hundred Haitian migrants arrived Wednesday in Key West, Florida, aboard a sailboat, American border guards announced.
The latter, supported by local police, apprehended 118 Haitians around 4 a.m., said Samuel Briggs II, a border guard official.
The Haitians claimed to have spent seven days at sea, according to local authorities cited by the daily Miami Herald.
Their arrival occurs at a time when Haiti, ravaged by gang violence, is experiencing a serious humanitarian and security crisis.
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis announced in March the deployment of additional law enforcement officers to the Keys, in far South Florida, “in anticipation of a potential influx of illegal immigrants into from Haiti.