Boat packed with hundreds of Haitian migrants runs aground in Florida

A boat packed with 356 Haitian migrants, which ran aground off Ocean Reef, is seen in a still image from a surveillance camera video as the U.S. Coast Guard attended in the Florida Keys, Florida, U.S. March 6, 2022. Image taken March 6, 2022. U.S. Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS

U.S. authorities are investigating what appeared to be one of the largest human smuggling attempts off U.S. shores in years, after a boat packed with 356 Haitian migrants ran aground in the Florida Keys on Sunday.

Among the passengers, 158 jumped from the boat, swam toward the shore in Key Largo and were apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson. The other 198 remained on the boat and were taken into custody by the U.S. Coast Guard, the spokesperson said.