The state of Florida says it's bracing for a surge of Haitian refugees fleeing the Caribbean country as gangs continue to flood the streets, creating chaos for its residents.
On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he was ordering the deployment of hundreds of additional assets to the Keys and southern Florida to prevent asylum seekers from entering the state.
"Given the circumstances in Haiti, I have directed the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state law enforcement agencies to deploy over 250 additional officers and soldiers and over a dozen air and sea craft to the southern coast of Florida to protect our state," he announced. "No state has done more to supplement the (under-resourced) U.S. Coast Guard's interdiction efforts; we cannot have illegal aliens coming to Florida."
The area is already under surveillance as part of the state's stringent efforts to prevent the influx of people entering the country illegally.
"Illegal immigrants feel empowered to enter the sovereign territory of the United States because of the federal government's refusal to diligently enforce our immigration laws and protect the integrity of the border," added DeSantis.
Earlier this week, Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his resignation amid an escalation in violence over the past two weeks, particularly after top gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier called for a "bloody revolution," Headlines & Global News previously reported.
The escape of thousands of prison inmates, coupled with attacks on government entities orchestrated by gangs and at the direction of Barbeque, are among the many factors that have pushed the country toward the brink of civil war.
"The first step is to overthrow Ariel Henry and then we will start the real fight against the current system, the system of corrupt oligarchs and corrupt traditional politicians," Barbeque told ABC News. "Not only are we fighting against Ariel Henry, but we are also fighting against everyone who has some complicity."
