Two Cuban migrants fly motorized hang gliders from communist island to Key West

Two Cuban migrants were arrested after flying on a motorized hang glider that landed at Key West International Airport on Saturday, according to Florida officials.

The migrants used the motorized hang glider to cross the 90 mile stretch (145 kilometers) from Cuba to Florida, landing at about 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.

After the two Cubans landed safely at Key West International, officials intercepted them and they were handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol, according to the Monroe County sheriff’s Office. 

“There were no interruptions in service and operations continue as normal,” Richard Strickland, director of airports at Key West International Airport, said in a statement.

There were no reported injuries, according to Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar, who posted a picture of the motorized vehicle on Twitter. 

Florida has seen a rise in Cuban migrants making the treacherous journey from the communist island to the United States. In January, the U.S. Coast Guard returned 273 migrants found near the coasts of Florida to Cuba. 

There have been 113,000 encounters with Cuban migrants at the U.S. southern border so far this fiscal year, which began in October. The number is a significant increase from the figures for Fiscal Year 2022, which saw a total of 220,000 encounters with Cuban migrants.