Florida Joins Feds to Arrest Nearly 250 Illegal Aliens
Florida law enforcement agencies arrested 249 illegal aliens during a three-day operation, part of efforts that have apprehended nearly 10,500 people since March 2025.
The effort represents an increasingly coordinated approach to arresting illegal aliens along Florida’s roadways, according to Breitbart News, and stands in stark contrast to Democrat-controlled “sanctuary” jurisdictions that actively obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts.
The Florida Highway Patrol spearheaded the multi-agency collaboration, with detained individuals processed and transferred to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for removal proceedings.
Lt. Ramin Sulaiman, assistant commander of the FHP Immigration Enforcement Section, revealed to Breitbart News that many of those detained along South Florida highways were “ghosts” — individuals with no records or accountability regarding their identity.
Sulaiman highlighted that more than one million illegal immigrants who entered during the Biden administration informed border authorities they intended to settle in Florida before being released into the interior. That figure does not account for the unknown number of individuals who evaded law enforcement encounters entirely and are simply present in the state without documentation.
Whether these individuals possess criminal backgrounds or harbor malicious intent remains unknown, he noted.
Nearly 10,500 Illegal Aliens Apprehended Since March
Dave Kerner, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, disclosed that nearly 10,500 illegal aliens have been apprehended statewide since March 2025. Many are discovered during routine traffic stops for driving violations when they fail to produce valid licenses, prompting questioning that reveals their unlawful status.
Trooper Tony Golden, who patrols commercial vehicles across six counties in Florida’s Panhandle, described the number of illegal aliens in Florida as astronomical based on his highway encounters.
Golden rejected claims from critics that officers are racially profiling or prioritizing immigration enforcement over other duties. We are enforcing the law, he stated, emphasizing that troopers do not selectively choose which laws to uphold.
Multi-Agency Collaboration Powers Enforcement
Operation 9 mobilized more than 100 officers who assembled before dawn at an FHP station in Broward County. The task force included Florida Highway Patrol troopers, ICE agents, U.S. Border Patrol personnel, Broward Sheriff’s Office specialty team deputies, Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco officers, and Florida State Guard members.
Officers made repeated trips to the station throughout the operation, escorting handcuffed individuals into an air-conditioned processing area where they were patted down, prepared for ICE transfer, and provided water and snacks.
Nestor Yglesias, a public affairs officer for ICE, explained that most detained individuals face a choice: accept an arranged return flight to their home country or remain in custody awaiting an immigration hearing.
ICE determines on a case-by-case basis whether the illegal alien will bear the cost of their removal flight or whether taxpayers will fund the deportation. Some individuals depart under a self-deportation incentive program that recently offered up to 2,600 dollars.
Eighth Operation Since October
Florida officials confirmed that eight previous operations have been conducted since October, with the latest designated as “Operation 9” in the continuing series of enforcement sweeps targeting illegal immigration throughout the state.
With information from Breitbart News
