Report: 34 long-term care facilities in Florida have confirmed cases of COVID-19

The Florida Division of Emergency Management reports 1,227 cases of Coronavirus throughout the state with the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough and Duval counties representing 60% of all Florida resident cases.

FloridaDisaster.org data through March 23 identifies Miami-Dade County with 265 Florida residents, Broward County with 252 Florida residents, Palm  Beach County with 81 Florida residents, Hillsborough County with 70 Florida residents and Duval County with 46 cases of Coronavirus.

Additional analysis published by the FDEM reveals 34 cases are in residents of long-term care facilities, with 14 cases in Duval County and 13 cases in Broward County.

With data available now down to the city level, the FDEM reports the nine cities and counties with over 30 cases each. They are:

• Miami, Dade 152 

• Missing 59 *

• Hollywood, Broward 58 

• Tampa, Hillsborough 51 

• Fort Lauderdale, Broward 51 

• Jacksonville, Duval 42 

• Orlando, Orange 37 

• Miami Beach, Dade 35 

• Naples, Collier 30 

Death detail is available from the FDEM with 17 deaths through 10:20pm March 23, three in Broward County, two in Clay County, 3 in Duval County, and two in Lee County round out the top ten.

While County Examiner cannot independently confirm their information at this time, on March 23 the Palm Beach Post reported the bulk of the long-term care facilities with the 33 cases are in Jacksonville (Duval County) or Broward County, where two residents of the same nursing home died of COVID-19. 

"Fake father" forced 12 yr old to work at Palm Beach County ag farms in labor trafficking scheme, says DOJ

A Guatemalan national was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a labor trafficking scheme of a 12 year old boy, announced the U.S, Department of Justice, Southern District of Florida earlier today.

In a press release posted January 13, 2020 the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and a Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

Court records reveal the Guatemalan national obtained fake identification in order to pose as the 12 year old boys' father (think "fake families" attempting to illegally enter the U.S.) who then lied to Customs and Border Protection about being the boy's father and unfortunately were released as a family unit. 

Based on the "fake family" lie, both made their way to Florida where, it was announced the fake father obtained a fake ID and forced the BOY to work at agricultural farms throughout Palm Beach County (emphasis mine):

"Beginning in December 2016, the Guatemalan national obtained false identification for the 12 year-old boy and forced him to work at agricultural farms throughout Palm Beach County for more than 6 months to repay a debt from the human smuggling venture.  The boy was eventually able to escape and reported his victimization during the course of the labor trafficking scheme. 

Walfre Eliseo Camposeco-Montejo, 35, of Guatemala, previously pled guilty to providing and obtaining forced labor, alien smuggling, and unlawfully transporting aliens.  On Friday, January 10, 2020 U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman sentenced Camposeco-Montejo to a total of 96 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release."  

Side note:

The 2020 session of the Florida Legislature will convene in Tallahassee tomorrow, January 14. Passage of an E-Verify law is among the major initiatives Governor DeSantis has announced for this legislative session.

E-Verify, authorized by Congress and signed into law by former President Bill Clinton through the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), is a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees.

Federal law requires employers hire only U.S. citizens and aliens who are authorized to work in the country and its a darn shame Florida Senate President Bill Galvano continues to stubbornly resist supporting SB 664, a bill that would codify into state law that which is already federal law---verify all new employees at all Florida businesses---in the hopes of thwarting labor trafficking schemes.

Judge rules blood test results of driver charged in 2017 Palm Beach County ambulance crash that killed two paramedics cannot be suppressed

A Palm Beach County judge denied a defense request to prevent the results of a blood test taken on the driver charged with the June 2017 driving while intoxicated second degree felony death of two paramedics in Jupiter, Florida from being entered into evidence

Palm Beach County public records dated November 8, 2019 reveal the attorney defending Guatemala native Genaro Delacruz Ajqui in the death of paramedics Paul Besaw and Lahiri Garcia was unsuccessful in his effort to claim an illegal blood draw. 

While the Fourth Amendment clearly provides all searches of persons and property are unreasonable absent a warrant or exception, in the State of Florida all licensed drivers consent to give breath or blood in exchange for the privilege to drive under Florida State Statute 316.1932 (1) (c).

The process of attempting to find Delacruz Ajqui mentally deficient to proceed to trial and waving his right to a speedy trial has also slowed the day of reckoning in this case.

Having been declared indigent after his June 2017 arrest and citing traumatic brain injury in addition to anxiety disorder, Ajqui was found mentally incompetent to proceed almost one year after his June 2017 arrest  when in May 2018 he was remanded to a Florida Department of Children and Families mental health facility for six months. Court records reveal defendant Ajqui was subsequently found competent to proceed to trial in a December 2018 status check.

Although this WPTV news report cited a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) statement that: 

"ICE lodged a detainer on Genaro De La Cruz , a citizen of Guatemala, with the Palm Beach County Jail after he was arrested on local charges.", 

the arrest report on file with other court documents does not nor does the arrest & bond section of the county website indicate if Ajqui is lawfully present in the United States.

Nearly two and one-half years after his arrest Ajqui has been order to appear in court again on January 3, 2020.

President Donald J. Trump Approves Florida Disaster Declaration

Late last night the Office of the Press Secretary for President Donald J. Trump issued a press release declaring a major disaster from Hurricane Dorian in the State of Florida. 

Palm Beach County is one of the Florida counties affected by Hurricane Dorian; surely the Palm Beach Post will write an article about the Presidential declaration.

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 21, 2019

President Donald J. Trump Approves Florida Disaster Declaration   Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Florida and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Dorian from August 28 to September 9, 2019.   Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Dorian in the counties of Brevard, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Martin, Nassau, Osceola, Palm Beach, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, and St. Lucie. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. Pete Gaynor, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Thomas J. McCool as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the State and warranted by the results of further damage assessments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

Palm Beach County Sheriff, other cooperate with ICE-HSI in international alien smuggling case

From the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida 

Jamaican Man Sentenced to Twenty-One Years in Prison for Heading Alien Smuggling Organization from Freeport, Bahamas

Michael Stapleton, 44, of Jamaica, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks to a total of 262 months in prison after having been convicted by a South Florida jury of running an international alien smuggling organization out of Freeport, Bahamas.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, and Thomas G. Martin, Acting Chief Patrol Agent for U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, made the announcement.

Stapleton was convicted by a federal jury on January 30, 2019, of forty-seven criminal counts related to his involvement in an alien smuggling scheme (Case No 14-CR-80151).  The trial evidence showed that Stapleton was the head of a smuggling organization operating out of Freeport, Bahamas. For several years, he coordinated the smuggling of aliens to the United States through Freeport from around the world. He arranged for them to be hidden in stash houses, hired smuggling captains, and arranged for boats to make crossing from the Bahamas to the United States. Testimony at trial showed he also used the vulnerability of the aliens to exploit them by demanding more money from them after they were in his power, keeping them in deplorable conditions, mistreating them, and sending them out in unsafe boats. In one smuggling venture, the aliens were pushed overboard in rough seas far from the beach, despite some of them not being able to swim. Stapleton was extradited to the United States in 2018.

U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan said, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to the vigorous prosecution of those individuals who engage in the dangerous and illicit practice of alien smuggling.  Today’s sentencing shows those who plan and commit these crimes while abroad will not have impunity from federal prosecution in the United States but will instead face more than twenty years in prison.”

“These smuggling organizations place no value on human life and are constantly putting people’s lives at risks. Stapleton’s actions clearly proved that,” said Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Miami. “Our goal is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the type of organization that Stapleton headed and we are committed to do everything within our powers to put these individuals behind bars.”

U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Thomas G. Martin stated, “Smuggling organizations like these pose a great risk.  Without the combined efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved, the actions of Stapleton would continue to endanger migrants’ lives and threaten U.S. border security.”

The Court found that Stapleton was the leader/organizer of the smuggling venture that involved between 20-99 victims, that he created a risk of substantial bodily harm, sexually assaulted two women, and possessed a firearm.  In addition to the term of incarceration, Stapleton was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay a special assessment of $4,700. 

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended ICE-HSI, along with the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Border Patrol, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Jupiter Police Department, the Juno Beach Police Department, and the Manalapan Police Department, for the investigative assistance provided in support of this matter.  This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Jones and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Evans.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Congolese migrant families destined for Florida, Texas and other U.S. cities

Three Florida and two Texas cities are among the 16 destinations of Congolese migrant families who arrived in San Antonio, Texas the first week of June.

A June 15 Washington Examiner story by Anna Giaritelli reported the details of the migrant’s arrival and with an assist from KENS5 reporter Jaleesa Irizarry includes destinations of the Congolese families as obtained from the City of San Antonio:

“SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Roughly 300 Congolese and Angolan citizens who arrived in San Antonio the first week of June after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border days earlier have all briskly departed the city for destinations across the country, some with fuzzy plans based partly on hope.

The hundreds of family members and single adults from Central Africa first showed up June 4 at the southern border’s Eagle Pass and Del Rio towns in south-central Texas. The migrants surrendered to Border Patrol agents and claimed asylum after crossing the Rio Grande.

The agency did not, as it is supposed to, turn families over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Instead, it released families onto the streets of Eagle Pass and Del Rio, according to two government and nongovernment officials with first-hand knowledge of the matter. The African migrants then bought bus tickets to either San Antonio or Austin, according to San Antonio Interim Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger.”

https://twitter.com/JaleesaReports/status/1138935801100865536

Last week County Examiner published details from a March 12, 2019 presentation by the International Rescue Committee (IRC)  of the stress felt on Florida’s’ educational system, especially in the parts of Florida with Congolese refugees who’ve never attended school.

“A second presentation by Ms. Bilic from International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Comprehensive Refugee Services provider in the NW Region, Leon County followed up with this:

The educational system is feeling the stress with so many refugees in a few schools while working with those who have never attended school before while in refugee camps.”

Miami-Dade, Orange and Palm Beach County school districts are home to the cities of Miami, Orlando and Boynton Beach, Florida. Dallas and Travis County are home to the cities of Dallas and Austin, Texas. 

Boynton Beach, Florida appears to be a new placement city for Congolese refugees. Reports generated from the Refugee Processing Center no DRC refugees were placed in Boynton Beach between January 1, 2015 through May, 2019.

Since January 2015, 5057 Congolese refugees were placed in 22 Texas cities with Houston and Fort Worth topping the list.