Coast Guardsman’s Wife Arrested by Immigration Authorities at U.S. Naval Air Station in Key West
Earlier this week, the wife of an active-duty Coast Guardsman was arrested by federal immigration authorities inside the family residential section of the U.S. Naval Air Station at Key West, Florida. The arrest came after she was flagged in a routine security check, according to officials.
According to Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Steve Roth, the spouse, who is not a member of the Coast Guard, was detained by Homeland Security Investigations pursuant to a lawful removal order. The Coast Guard collaborates with HSI and other agencies to enforce federal laws, including on immigration.
The woman’s work visa expired around 2017, and she was marked for removal from the United States a few years later, a U.S. official revealed. She recently married the Coast Guardsman, with the enforcement incident unfolding when they were preparing to move into their on-base housing in Key West.
While immigration arrests have been a top priority for federal law enforcement, the on-base arrest of the military spouse did not seem to be part of a broader sweep, according to reports.
When the woman and her Coast Guard husband went to the visitor control center to access the Key West installation, her name was flagged during the routine security screening. This prompted base personnel to contact the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which, along with Coast Guard security personnel and HSI, conducted the on-base arrest on Thursday.
HSI took the spouse into custody, and officials indicated that she is still being detained. The woman’s country of origin was not disclosed.
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The Coast Guard has deferred inquiries about the woman’s identity, immigration status, and charges to ICE, which has not responded to requests for comment. The Department of Homeland Security has also remained silent on the matter.
The arrested woman’s husband serves as a Coast Guardsman on the USCGC Mohawk, based in Key West. They were in the process of moving into U.S. government housing at the Naval Air Station when the arrest occurred.
The Mohawk recently returned to its home port following a 70-day deployment to the Eastern Pacific Ocean on a mission to intercept illegal drug shipments, as reported in a March 16 media release. The Navy has emphasized its cooperation with federal law enforcement in this matter.
Security and access at naval installations are taken seriously by the Navy, as stated in a recent statement.
