Operation Tidal Wave Nets 15 Illegal Aliens in Key Largo Sweep

Fifteen people described by authorities as illegally present in the United States were taken into custody in Key Largo on March 9 during a joint state-federal sweep called Operation Tidal Wave, the latest targeted enforcement action by the Florida Highway Patrol's Criminal Alien Apprehension Team.

The operation paired CAAT troopers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Those apprehended were citizens of Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala. All 15 remain in custody pending further legal and immigration proceedings, according to authorities.

State officials said every person taken into custody carried an extensive criminal history. The group's prior charges and convictions, cited collectively by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, included home invasion with deadly weapons, aggravated battery, domestic violence, crimes involving minors, cocaine possession, marijuana distribution, burglary, theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm, prior deportation violations, and failure to appear in court. No individual charge assignments were released, and authorities did not identify any of the 15 by name.

Dave Kerner, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, framed the operation as part of a broader state commitment to removing people with violent records. "The Florida Highway Patrol leads in the apprehension and arrest of criminal illegal allies who have committed violent crimes here or abroad," Kerner said in an agency statement. "Our Criminal Alien Apprehension Team and federal partners are executing targeted, coordinated operations that remove criminal aliens off our streets. This is what accountability looks like, and Florida will continue to lead with decisive action to protect our residents."

The Key Largo sweep fits into a much larger enforcement picture. Since March 2025, operating under ICE's 287(g) program, the Florida Highway Patrol has apprehended more than 9,000 people unlawfully present in the country, including more than 1,600 with documented prior criminal histories, according to FLHSMV figures.

Authorities have not disclosed where the 15 detainees are being held, whether state criminal charges have been filed alongside any immigration proceedings, or the specific locations within Key Largo where the arrests occurred.