16 Migrants Arrested After Boat Crashes Into Florida Seawall During Police Chase
POMPANO BEACH, FL - MARCH 20: An empty beach is seen from the Anglin's Fishing Pier as the effort to stop the coronavirus pandemic continues on March 20, 2020 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Across the state local officials are closing beaches in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Joe Raedle/Getty Images

At least 16 migrants were arrested after police officers chased their motorboat that crashed into a seawall on the Intracostal Waterway in Pompano Beach, Florida on Thursday, June 17.

Local and federal officials arrested some of the migrants floating in the sea after they jumped into the water during the chase. The incident was the latest among the increasing number of migrants trying to cross the sea to reach the United States.

Boat Carrying Migrants Crashed in Florida's Pompano Beach

According to Sun-Sentinel, the Broward Sheriff's Office said the crash happened in the area of Southeast 28th Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard at around 8:45 a.m. Officials said the migrants would be transferred to the custody of Customs and Border Protection.

Authorities did not disclose the nationality of the said migrants, but one of them told WPLG Local10 that they came from Jamaica.

He shared that there's killing in Jamaica, and they want a better life since there's no life in Jamaica right now. The migrant noted that they went to The Bahamas first before heading to Pompano Beach in Florida.

Witness David Dube, who began recording the boat coming in, said the boat was moving in real slow and zigging and zagging, and anyone who can see it can tell that something was not right.

The boat crashed into the seawall as a law enforcement boat sped through the water with a police helicopter hovering overhead.

A person in a video from a witness can be heard in the footage shouting, saying it was the craziest thing he had ever seen in his life. He also said that the scene was like in the video game "Grand Theft Auto."

Witness Gregory Krupa shared that he was sitting at the pier when the boat sped by. Krupa noted that the sheriff's boat came out real quick while the other boat crashed into the seawall.

After crashing, he said about three or four individuals jumped into the water while one woman on the boat gave up and put her hands on her head, Wink News reported.

Migrants Crossing Attempts

Early estimates showed that this year would be a busy year for migrants crossing attempts. As of February, at-sea interceptions numbers had already outpaced all of 2020 for people immigrating just from Cuba, which is based on the most recent available data.

With 1,200 miles of coastline used by thousands of recreational and commercial boaters, Florida is ripe for smuggling undocumented people to the U.S. Most migrants were brought by boat or for others trying to make it ashore with makeshift boats.

Around 15,000 migrants have been caught and stopped at sea in the past five years by the Coast Guard District 7 group that covers the coastlines of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The Caribbean basin, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico were also under their radar.

The trek going to the U.S. involves a number of dangers. It includes intense storms, especially during hurricane season, and crashes that leave people stranded.

Earlier this year, three migrants from Cuba survived by only consuming coconuts for 33 days on an island near the Bahamas after their boat crashed while trying to reach the U.S.

WATCH: Possible Migrants Detained in Pompano Beach -From WPLG Local 10