MARATHON, Fla. — A Cuban migrant crossed the dangerous Florida Straits this past weekend, not by boat but by inflatable kayak.
Border Patrol agents said Sunday that the man arrived in Marathon, located in the Middle Florida Keys.
Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar tweeted that the migrant was taken into custody by agents and would be returned to Cuba.
On #Sunday, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Miami Sector apprehended one Cuban migrant after he made landfall on an inflatable Kayak in Marathon #Florida. The individual will be processed for removal proceedings. #happeningnow #SundayMorning pic.twitter.com/XaAViO5She
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) August 21, 2022
The U.S.'s "wet foot, dry foot" policy, which allowed Cuban migrants who made it to shore to stay in the country, ended in January 2017.
There has been a swift increase in Cubans attempting to make it to the U.S. this year.
U.S. border officials report they have processed 177,848 Cuban migrants since October last year. That tally is significantly higher than the 39,303 Cubans taken into custody during the 2021 fiscal year and 14,015 in 2020.