PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Panama City on Friday to promote the efforts of the state’s law enforcement to crack down on undocumented immigrants in the Panhandle.
“The Panhandle Immigration Enforcement operation is part of a comprehensive, multi-agency enforcement detail targeting illegal aliens with criminal records, fugitives, and repeat immigration violators,” DeSantis said. “We deploy 45 FHP troopers and 20 federal personnel across Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa, Holmes Bay, Washington, and Jackson counties. Although the operation is still underway, nearly 200 illegal aliens have already been apprehended and were apprehended, with expectations that the final total will even be higher by the end of today’s operations.”
DeSantis was joined by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner, FLHSMV Col. Gary Howze and Florida State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Larry Keefe.
DeSantis and Collins also spoke about the case of a semitruck driver accused of making an illegal U-turn on the Turnpike and causing a crash that killed three people in St. Lucie County.
Florida troopers, with the assistance of ICE, determined that the semitruck’s driver — Harjinder Singh — had entered the U.S. illegally after crossing the Mexico border in 2018. He then reportedly obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, where he flew after the Aug. 12 crash and was soon arrested.
Lt. Gov. Collins said he was in California on Thursday to ensure the extradition to Florida took place.
[VIDEO: Driver in deadly Florida Turnpike U-turn crash appears in court]
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office shared video Friday to social media showing Singh now in the agency’s custody.
Watch the news conference again in the video player below or by clicking here.