MARATHON, Fla. (NewsNation) — Dozens of American citizens have returned to the United States from Haiti, arriving in Orlando, Florida, on one of the first flights chartered by Gov. Ron DeSantis to help Floridians escape deadly violence.
The U.S. Department of State said 1,600 Americans have contacted the U.S. Embassy for help leaving the Caribbean country. The State Department is chartering helicopters to help people get back to the U.S.
These rescue efforts come as DeSantis cracks down on Haitians trying to enter the U.S. illegally while fleeing violence in their homeland, with many making the journey by sea.
NewsNation’s Brooke Shafer accompanied Florida National Guard soldiers, who patrol waters daily, on a helicopter ride about 10 miles off the coast of Marathon in one of their six helicopters now stationed in the Florida Keys.
Soldiers explained they use systems and cameras to examine routes commonly taken by migrants, zooming in on every boat in the water to monitor any unusual activity.
“We’re looking for what they call chugs and different pieced-together rafts that they typically use to come over. Usually pretty easy to identify,” said Maj. David Dietz.
Now stationed in the Florida Keys, the helicopter is part of the extra resources deployed since last week.
DeSantis activated 250 extra Florida officers and soldiers in anticipation of a potential influx of Haitian migrants. It’s in addition to the extra manpower already stationed there since last January.
NewsNation obtained an exclusive look with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the abandoned boats along Florida shores. Since then, officials have noted a slowdown in activity, with soldiers attributing much of it to deterrence measures.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported no unusual migrant activity or attempts to enter Florida by boat, despite the escalating violence about 700 miles away in Haiti.