15 arrested in 'maritime smuggling event' near Mar-a-Lago
The group landed near Palm Beach and were taken into federal custody after they tried to run from authorities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fifteen foreign nationals – which consisted of 14 Haitians and one Bahamian – were arrested early Sunday morning in a "maritime smuggling event" near Mar-a-Lago, according to Chief Patrol Agent John R. Modlin from the Miami Sector the U.S. Border Patrol.
The group landed near Palm Beach and were taken into federal custody after they tried to run from authorities.
Border Patrol told CBS12 News in a statement: “Fortunately, no members of the group were injured during this dangerous journey across rough seas. Smugglers are not concerned with the safety of the people they are smuggling, rather they continue to put the lives of migrants at risk. We work with our investigative partners to prosecute the smugglers associated with these events. The event is still under investigation."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The group will be processed to be removed from the country, and their boat, a 26-foot Scarab, will be seized by federal authorities.
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President Trump purchased Mar-a-Lago — “the world’s most celebrated private club,” according to its website — from the foundation of cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1985 for $10 million and has invested tens of millions of dollars in improving the property. He opened it as a club in 1995.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The property now boasts 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, tennis and croquet courts and three bomb shelters.