Eleven migrants described as “criminal aliens” were taken into custody in Broward County on Wednesday afternoon after federal agents stopped a box truck in Oakland Park as part of a criminal investigation.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman Nestor Yglesias told the Miami Herald that special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) carried out the operation, which led to what ICE calls “administrative arrests.” The term refers to non-citizens who have been convicted of crimes, though it does not always result in long-term ICE detention.
Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the investigation or the individuals’ countries of origin. Footage shown by NBC6 showed the detainees sitting on a curb near the truck, surrounded by law enforcement officers.
Florida has long been a primary destination for migrants from the Caribbean and Latin America, with many arriving by sea or through the U.S.-Mexico border before making their way to South Florida. Under the Trump administration’s renewed crackdown on illegal immigration, federal agencies have ramped up enforcement efforts across the state.
“All 11 are being processed by immigration authorities,” Yglesias confirmed, adding that custody determinations would be made on a case-by-case basis.
The investigation remains ongoing.
