The U.S. Coast Guard recently thwarted 25 Chinese aliens trying to illegally enter the U.S. on a boat near Miami.
After a Coast Guard crew from the Miami station last week intercepted a vessel that refused to stop, it fired warning shots and then “disabling fire” to halt the vessel.
By land or sea, our borders are CLOSED.
Last week, a @USCG crew out of Station Miami Beach encountered and disabled a vessel carrying 25 Chinese nationals attempting to enter our nation illegally. @CBP and @CBPAMO assisted following the interdiction, and @HSI_HQ initiated a… pic.twitter.com/KuN14qM0fn
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 17, 2026
The Coast Guard, with the help of U.S. Customs and Border Protection helped the 25 Chinese nationals found aboard the vessel, which is under investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations.
“Last week, a Coast Guard crew out of Station Miami Beach encountered a vessel with 25 Chinese aliens attempting to illegally enter the United States,” Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “This sends a clear message to illegal aliens attempting to enter the United States: don’t even think about it. By land or sea, our borders are CLOSED.”
The Coast Guard’s Operation Vigilant Sentry is aimed at “deterring and preventing unlawful maritime migration” into the U.S.
Coast Guard Station Miami Beach Commanding Officer Lieutenant Matthew Ross said their crews “remain vigilant in detecting and deterring unlawful maritime migration ventures.”
“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,” he warned.
The Trump administration has sought to crack down on Chinese nationals in the U.S., including student visa holders who allegedly had ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem this week warned of China orchestrating an operation like a “travel agency” that sends people to the U.S. in an interview with Fox Business.
“We saw very coordinated attacks of people coming into this country from China,” she said. “Countries that I have worked with in Latin and South America have told us how they had Chinese operations set up for people to fly into their countries, almost like a travel agency would be,” she added.
“They would show up, be handed certain documents, a backpack, get on a bus and then bus straight up over our southern border… And overwhelmingly, the testimonies have been that they were the same-aged individuals, young, mainly men, some females, but very much a coordinated attempt to get individuals into our country, to change our country,” Noem added.
