DETAILS: US INTERCEPTS alleged human smuggling boat

STATEMENT I JUST READ. JACKUI. >> Jacqui: DAVID SPUNT IN. WASHINGTON. THANK YOU. >> Bill: 20 PAST THE HOURS. THIS STORY EXCLUSIVE VIDEO OF. THE CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL. ALONG WITH THE COAST GUARD. INTERCEPTING AN ALLEGED HUMAN. SMUGGLING BOAT OFF THE COAST OF. SOUTHERN FLORIDA. OFFICIALS SAY THAT BOAT WAS. CARRYING 22 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. INCLUDING 13 CHINESE NATIONALS. AUTHORITIES ALSO ARRESTED THE. SMUGGLER. HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT RODNEY. SCOTT, CBP COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

LET ME PUT UP A MAP OF THE AREA. HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT ORIGINATED IN. THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. ANGEL FISH CREEK IS WHERE THE. ININTERDICTION OCCURRED IN. FLORIDA. WHAT HAPPENED, SIR? >> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO. POINT OUT HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED. UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE AN UNPRECEDENTED. INVESTMENT IN BORDER SECURITY. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT THAT CAN STAY. UP OVER 24 HOURS. MANNED AIRCRAFT UP FOR OVER TEN. WE K KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT IS.

APPROACHING OUR COASTLINES AND. SOUTHERN BORDER THAN EVER. BEFORE. IN THIS CASE CBP WORKING WITH. COAST GUARD DETECTED WHAT WE. BELIEVED WAS A SMUGGLING VESSEL. COMING TOWARDS THE UNITED. STATES. WE MONITOR AND CONFIRMED WHAT IT. WAS AND CHOSE WHERE TO TAKE THAT. VESSEL DOWN IN OUR TIME AND. CHOOSING. UNLIKE IN THE PAST WHERE IT WAS. MORE REACTIVE. IN THIS CASE THERE WERE 13. CHINESE, 22 TOTAL. THE SMUGGLER WAS CUBAN. HE IS BEING PROSECUTED IN THE. UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW AND ALL. OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS HAVE.

ALREADY BEEN REPATE REIATEED. BACK TO OTHER COUNTRIES. THE STORY OF THE DAY THEY AREN'T. GETTING IN. BORDERS MORE SECURE THAN EVER. BEFORE AND MAKING THEM TIGHTER. AND TIGHTER EVERY DAY. >> Bill: HOW OFTEN DOES THIS. HAPPEN? >> IT WILL INCREASE TO BE QUITE. HONEST. RIGHT NOW THE SOUTHWEST BORDER. OVER 900 MILES OF BORDER WALL. UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION AT. UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS. 200 MILES OF NEW JUST THIS. ADMINISTRATION. SMUGGLERS WON'T GO AWAY AND TRY. TO DO OTHER TECHNIQUES TO.

INCLUDE WATER. WE ARE COORDINATING OUR. DEPLOYMENTS WITH COAST GUARD AND. WORKING WITH OTHER FOREIGN. PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW. WHAT'S COMING ACROSS THOSE. AREAS. WE ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE. >> Bill: WITHOUT GIVING UP TOO. MUCH YOU WATCH THEM BY. SATELLITE, AIRPLANE AND BOTH. >> ALL OF THE ABOVE. WHICHEVER TOOL WE THINK IS MOST. APPROPRIATE AT THAT POINT IN. TIME. WE ARE INCREASING OUR OWN. ORGANIC RESOURCES MORE AND MORE. WITHIN CUSTOMS AND BORDER.

PROTECTION. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT THAT CAN STAY. UP OVER 24 HOURS. COAST GUARD IS INCREASING THEIR. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AS WELL AND. SATELLITE CAPABILITY. WE ARE MONITORING ALL THE. APPROACHES TO THE UNITED STATES. IN A WAY THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE. BEFORE TO MAKE SURE JUST LIKE. OUR HOME, ANYBODY COMING IN. COMES TO OUR FRONT DOOR AND THEY. AREN'T SNEAKING THROUGH THE BACK. DOOR. >> Bill: 23 ILLEGALS I MENTIONED. THAT. ONE SUSPECTED SMUGGLER. YOU IDENTIFIED THAT INDIVIDUAL. AS CUBAN. YOU HAVE 13 CHINESE NATIONALS.

EIGHT FROM ECUADOR. ONE FROM THE DOMINICAN AND ONE. FROM CUBA AS WELL. QUESTION FOR YOU. DURING THE BIDEN YEARS, WE FOUND. A LOT OF CHINESE NATIONALS WERE. FLYING TO SOUTH AMERICAN. COUNTRIES AND WAIT THERE UNTIL. THEY PAID THEIR DUE TO THE. SMUGGLERS TO ALLOW THEM TO FIND. SOME SORT OF ROUTE UP THROUGH. MEXICO AND ACROSS OUR BORDER. WOULD THESE CHINESE NATIONALS. STILL BE IN THE WESTERN. HEMISPHERE WAITING SOME SORT OF. TRAVEL OR WOULD THEY BE NEW TO.

THE REGION? HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THAT? >> IN MOST CASES I THINK RIGHT. NOW PROBABLY BE NEW TO THE. REGION. I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS ON THIS. SPECIFIC GROUP. THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE HERE. IS THESE ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE NOW. IN OTHER COUNTRIES. UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, THEY KNEW IF THEY GOT TO THE. BORDER THEY WOULD BE RELEASED. AND GIVEN DOCUMENTS TO WORK. NOW YOU APPROACH OUR BORDERS. WE'LL ARREST YOU AND DEPORT YOU. TO YOUR OWN COUNTRY OR A THIRD.

COUNTRY. YOU AREN'T GETTING INTO THE. UNITED STATES. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. >> Bill: THEY HAVE ALL BEEN. DEPORTED. >> YES, 100%. >> Bill: THANKS.