OAN Staff Lillian Mann
11:44 AM – Thursday, June 18, 2026
The U.S. Coast Guard opened fire on a vessel carrying 25 Chinese nationals off the Florida coast after the crew refused to comply with orders, successfully intercepting the suspected illegal entry into the country.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleged that on June 10th, a boat carrying 25 illegal aliens from China refused to stop one mile south of Key Biscayne. Crews from Coast Guard Station Miami began firing as a warning. However, the boat continued on, prompting the Coast Guard to use “disabling fire” to successfully halt the vessel, with no injuries recorded, according to the DHS.
Following the intervention, the Chinese nationals were relocated to the Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell for processing and their boat was seized and towed to Station Miami Beach. Special agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE) reportedly launched a criminal investigation into the attempted entry, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO).
Following the arrest, DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis issued a stark warning.
“This sends a clear message to illegal aliens attempting to enter the United States: don’t even think about it,” Bis told Fox News Digital. “By land or sea, our borders are CLOSED.”
Lt. Matthew Ross, commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Miami Beach underscored the importance of local, state and federal maritime law enforcement remaining committed to cease unlawful migration attempts.
“Anyone considering one of these dangerous voyages should understand that they are risking their lives at sea and can expect to be interdicted and repatriated,” Ross said.
“This sends a clear message to ANY illegal alien attempting to enter the United States: don’t even think about it,” DHS said in a post on X.
The interdiction of the 25 Chinese nationals comes after the Coast Guard achieved a massive milestone of 225,000 pounds of seized cocaine through their ongoing operation of Operation Pacific Viper, following a separate operation on Wednesday.
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