The Pentagon is warning of a possible “major maritime movement” from Haiti that poses security concerns for South Florida amid turmoil in the Caribbean nation.
Rebecca Zimmerman, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, asked Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to discuss the U.S. military posture and national situation during Tuesday’s House Armed Services Committee hearing. in response, testifying about concerns about large-scale immigration of Haitians. Security challenges in the Americas.
“What is the difference between Haiti and a failed state?” Gaetz asked Zimmerman during cross-examination. “We can’t really identify because the gangs are in control and the government is in exile. And as a Florida man, I’m coming and coming. I’m very concerned about this wave of people that’s going to come from Haiti, and it’s going to accelerate. ”
Gates has worked with Broward County since his time in Opa-locka, Fla., with members of Operation Vigilant Sentry, an interagency task force formed in the early 2000s to track maritime migration trends. He said he learned of Haitians who had arrived in Palm Beach. In the county, “infected cases have not spread nationwide and remain in southeastern Florida,” but the “deteriorating situation in Haiti” is having an impact, and the worsening local situation in the Caribbean country is encouraging further spread of infection. It suggested that it was possible. To the Sunshine State.
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Men on motorbikes pass burning tires during a demonstration following the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday. (Clarence Cifroy/AFP via Getty Images)
“So, to prepare for that wave, make sure these people are deported at the docks in Port-au-Prince, instead of being paroled into the United States, as the administration has been doing with people on the southern border. What are we doing for this purpose?” Gates asked.
“At this point, we have not seen any large-scale movements that could be considered mass migrations at sea,” Zimmerman said. “We are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right that the driving situation in Haiti could put even more people under pressure. We recently approved additional support that we can provide to the Coast Guard. did.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken boarded a plane departing from Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday. (Andrew Caballero Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Gates said the Coast Guard has expressed the need for more Navy vessels to support the Department of Defense in anticipation of large-scale migration.
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Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Florida), who serves on the Homeland Security and Armed Services Committees and the new Select Committee on China, responded to the concerns in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Under Joe Biden’s disastrous foreign policy, six US embassies have been evacuated, and Haiti is the latest example. More than 10 million people have crossed the border illegally in the past four years. “We are facing yet another migration crisis because of the current administration, which lacks a strategic vision for our hemisphere,” Jimenez said. “Miami-Dade County boasts one of the largest Haitian-American communities in the country. Residents are calling for concrete action and Haitian-led solutions to this humanitarian crisis and a commitment to democracy, security, and security to the island.” , wants to restore peace of mind. These criminal organizations must stop terrorizing the Haitian people at all costs.”
The streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti are filled with pedestrians and commuters on Tuesday. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he will resign once an interim presidential council is established. (AP Photo/Oderin Joseph)
Rep. Sheila Chafiras McCormick of Florida, who is Haitian-American, warned in a press conference Monday that there could be security risks if the U.S. doesn’t act, Politico reported. .
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Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry said on Tuesday he would resign, bowing to international pressure to save his country, which has been ruled by violence and heavily armed gangs under the leadership of the notorious Jimmy “Barbeque” Chélisier. Announced. The announcement comes as Caribbean leaders and officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met in Jamaica to discuss solutions to stem Haiti’s deepening crisis and agreed to a joint proposal to establish a transition council. It took place a few hours later.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
