14 Haitians and 1 Bahamian are arrested moments after landing on the beach and trying to make a run for it near President Trump's private club at Mar-a-Lago
Fifteen foreign nationals have been arrested after washing up on shore near President Trump's private member's club, Mar-a-Lago.
The group, made up of 14 Haitians and one Bahamian, was arrested early on Sunday morning in what authorities have described as a 'maritime smuggling event' according to Chief Patrol Agent John R. Modlin.
The group, whose makeup is consistent with patterns of human trafficking and illegal immigration, ended up landing on the beach near Palm Beach and were promptly taken into federal custody after trying to run from U.S. Border Patrol officials.
Fifteen foreign nationals were arrested by federal agents near Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday morning
The group landed on the beach just a short distance away from the president's private club
The Atlantic Ocean is seen adjacent to President Donald Trump's beachfront Mar-a-Lago resort, also sometimes called his Winter White House
'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,' Border Patrol told CBS12 News in a statement.
The group will be processed and removed from the country with their boat, a 26-foot Scarab, seized by federal authorities.
Migrant landings and detentions are a periodic occurrence in Palm Beach.
Four foreign nationals were arrested in connection with a human trafficking event in the area in January 2020, and 25 were detained in an interdiction off the coast of Palm Beach in mid-October.
The individuals were involved in an unspecified 'maritime smuggling event' and attempted to 'make a run for it' on the beach before being apprehended by Border Patrol
The suspects arrived in a 26-foot speedboat and then made a run for it on the beach. All were apprehended by Border patrol agents and will be deported
Mar-a-Lago's approximately 500 members paid $14,000 annual dues for access to the 17-acre estate, with new members paying a $200,000 initiation fee that doubled after Trump's 2016 election. Members pay extra to dine and stay on the property.
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 improving the property. He opened it as a club in 1995.
The property now boasts 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, tennis and croquet courts and three bomb shelters.
Trump purchased Mar-a-Lago in 1985 for $10 million and has invested tens of millions of dollars improving the property. He opened it as a club in 1995
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