Florida–Federal Operation in Key Largo Arrests 15 Unlawfully Present Immigrants With Criminal Records

Florida Highway Patrol’s Criminal Alien Apprehension Team and U.S. Border Patrol arrested 15 non‑U.S. citizens with prior criminal histories in a March 9 “targeted” immigration enforcement operation in Key Largo, part of a broader effort called Operation Tidal Wave. Officials say those detained are nationals of Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala who are unlawfully present in the U.S., with past charges or convictions that include battery and domestic violence, drug possession and distribution, burglary, theft, home invasion, aggravated battery, firearm offenses and obstruction of justice; some also had prior deportations and failures to appear in court. The operation was carried out under the federal 287(g) program, which since March 2025 has allowed FHP to apprehend more than 9,000 immigrants, including more than 1,600 with criminal histories, effectively turning state troopers into frontline immigration enforcers. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles chief Dave Kerner framed the arrests as “accountability” and a model for other states, while acting Miami Chief Patrol Agent Samuel Briggs called state partnerships a “force multiplier” for border security. The crackdown reflects Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s aggressive posture on immigration enforcement and will likely fuel ongoing national debates over 287(g) agreements, profiling concerns, and the extent to which state police should function as federal immigration officers.