Latest news with #MediterraneanRevival
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Making the City Beautiful: How Bahamians built the iconic Venetian Pool — and Coral Gables
On a hot afternoon last August, the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables seemed almost idyllic. Little kids swam under the waterfall and into a cave. Their parents sunbathed under lush palm trees. With two towers and a bridge, the 60,000-square-foot Venetian Pool built from coral rock is best known for its iconic Mediterranean Revival aesthetic, akin to that of Venice, Italy. The Venetian Pool is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a distinction city officials have long sought to maintain, and it annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. Long before it became one of South Florida's most popular tourist attractions, it was an eyesore. Originally a quarry in the early 1920s, it was the source of much of the coral rock used to build homes and structures in the city. What was left after removing the rock was a large pit that wasn't very attractive to potential home buyers and developers. The solution: transform the pit into a pool. The people who quarried the coral rock to build many buildings in Coral Gables and the Venetian Pool more than a century ago were expert stonemasons from the Bahamas. Bahamians' contributions to Coral Gables, particularly their quality craftsmanship in building the city, are being highlighted this year during the city's centennial celebration. While the Venetian Pool represents the grandeur of their artistry, the two small neighborhoods where they lived showcase the durability of their work: the Golden Gate and MacFarlane Homestead subdivisions — built by both Bahamians and Black Southerners during racial segregation — feature original century-old homes in the Bahamian bungalow and shotgun wood-frame styles. All of them have survived despite hurricanes and the test of time. The Venetian Pool first opened in 1924, a year before the city was incorporated, under the name 'Venetian Casino.' It debuted with Jan Garber's orchestra playing poolside. Another draw: Orator William Jennings Bryan spoke at the pool. He was a former secretary of state who ran for president three times and served in Congress. It quickly became a popular attraction. 'The Venetian Pool was more than just the community pool, it was also a way to attract ... developers and people to purchase their homes,' said Coral Gables City Manager Carolina Vester, who started her career with the city over 20 years ago as a lifeguard at the pool and later worked as its manager. '[Coral Gables founder] George Merrick set forth big attraction events where people were coming in to purchase property, and he had to entertain them,' she said. The Venetian Pool hosted beauty contests, dance performances and aquatic shows. Jackie Ott 'The Aqua Tot' was one of many celebrities who performed. He started at the age of 4, dressing up, swimming, aquaplaning and diving through fire hoops. The pool would often also become a makeshift amphitheater where opera singers and orchestras would perform at the bottom of the drained pool. On the city's 90th anniversary, the Miami Symphony Orchestra recreated one of those music performances, assembling on the pool floor. ' Not much has actually changed of how it looked a hundred years ago to what it looks like today,' Vester said. 'And that's the beauty of preservation.' During a $2 million renovation in 1987, a 10-foot tall diving board was removed. Also, pumps were installed to recirculate water. 'We actually drain and fill the pool every single night from Memorial Day to Labor Day,' Vester said. 'That's about 820,000 gallons of water, and we don't waste it. ... We have two injection wells across the street, and they inject the water at high velocity back down into the aquifer about a hundred feet underground.' The water naturally percolates through the limestone bedrock, which acts as a filter, before it reaches the Biscayne Aquifer, Vester said. 'So we're constantly recirculating the water, both manually and naturally,' she said. 'That's very, very unique to the pool. This pool is one of a kind.' In preparation for the city's centennial anniversary celebrations, the pool has been undergoing renovations since October. It is scheduled to reopen this summer. Many locals know little about the Bahamian people who quarried the rock to build Coral Gables. At the turn of the 20th century, a large portion of Miami's Black population was from the Bahamas. Many farmers from there would travel seasonally to South Florida to work the region's agricultural crops. 'As laborers, they built churches and residences, hotels and businesses for Coral Gables, 'The City Beautiful,'' said Dorothy Jenkins Fields, a Bahamian descendant and founder of the Black Archives Foundation. 'I'm always so proud to be able to say that, because we were a big part of making it beautiful — not only with the construction, but also with the gardens and the landscaping.' Entrepreneurs advertised their construction projects in Bahamian newspapers to attract workers. The site where Coral Gables Senior High School is today was once a tent city for construction workers. By the 1920s, Bahamians became essential to the local economy. READ MORE: 'Long overdue': Historic marker celebrates Black community that helped establish Coral Gables 'These early pioneers knew how to use lumber to construct buildings, but they had no idea of how to deal with coral rock, which is the foundation of South Florida,' while Bahamians had experience using coral rock back home, said Marvin Dunn, a retired and renowned local historian and author of Black Miami in the Twentieth Century. Many houses as well as structures around the city — like the Alhambra and Douglas entrances — were built with coral rock. During this time of racial segregation and institutionalized racism, Bahamian workers faced many challenges here, including exploitation, unsafe working conditions and even displacement. 'There were no protections against accidents or injuries. Some people, in the course of building Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, died in accidents. No compensation. The amount of pay was barely above the level to sustain a family,' Dunn told WLRN. Bahamians and Black Southerners who had been living near the University of Miami were pushed out to make way for student dormitories. As part of a deal with Merrick and the university, community members moved across U.S. 1 to an area now known as the Golden Gate and MacFarlane Homestead subdivisions. ' In the mornings they would work for George Merrick. ... And in the afternoons they would come, and they would build their homes,' said Carl Leon Prime, president of the Lola B. Walker Homeowners Association and third-generation Macfarlane Homestead resident. In his neighborhood, there are 36 original bungalow and shotgun-style houses with apparent Bahamian influences that have survived for more than a century. Many are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 'It shows real craftsmanship and attention to detail that you can't get anywhere else,' Prime said. Today, many residents of those communities are descendants of the neighborhoods' pioneering families. Leigh Cooper-Willis, 34, grew up in Golden Gate, like generations in her family before her. '[My family] came to work for George Merrick, and then they lived in this house,' said Cooper-Willis, a fourth-generation descendant. 'And then my grandfather was born on that property. Then my mother, and now I live there with my family, [with] my son.' Prime also lives in the house that his grandfather built in 1936 at another location and moved to the current spot two years later. ' We can tell the family history in the avocado trees in the yard,' Prime said. When his grandfather moved the house, a tree was already planted there. Near it is the tree that his father planted and, between them, is the avocado tree that Prime planted himself as a child. Earlier this year, the city of Coral Gables celebrated the predominantly Black neighborhood bordering Coconut Grove for its historic contributions in marking its centennial. In an opinion letter published by the Miami Herald, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago mentioned the commission will further honor this legacy by commissioning a public sculpture to be installed at Merrick Park across from City Hall.
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Miami Herald
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Making the City Beautiful: How Bahamians built the iconic Venetian Pool — and Coral Gables
On a hot afternoon last August, the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables seemed almost idyllic. Little kids swam under the waterfall and into a cave. Their parents sunbathed under lush palm trees. With two towers and a bridge, the 60,000-square-foot Venetian Pool built from coral rock is best known for its iconic Mediterranean Revival aesthetic, akin to that of Venice, Italy. The Venetian Pool is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a distinction city officials have long sought to maintain, and it annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. Long before it became one of South Florida's most popular tourist attractions, it was an eyesore. Originally a quarry in the early 1920s, it was the source of much of the coral rock used to build homes and structures in the city. What was left after removing the rock was a large pit that wasn't very attractive to potential home buyers and developers. The solution: transform the pit into a pool. The people who quarried the coral rock to build many buildings in Coral Gables and the Venetian Pool more than a century ago were expert stonemasons from the Bahamas. Bahamians' contributions to Coral Gables, particularly their quality craftsmanship in building the city, are being highlighted this year during the city's centennial celebration. While the Venetian Pool represents the grandeur of their artistry, the two small neighborhoods where they lived showcase the durability of their work: the Golden Gate and MacFarlane Homestead subdivisions — built by both Bahamians and Black Southerners during racial segregation — feature original century-old homes in the Bahamian bungalow and shotgun wood-frame styles. All of them have survived despite hurricanes and the test of time. The Venetian Pool comes alive with entertainment acts The Venetian Pool first opened in 1924, a year before the city was incorporated, under the name 'Venetian Casino.' It debuted with Jan Garber's orchestra playing poolside. Another draw: Orator William Jennings Bryan spoke at the pool. He was a former secretary of state who ran for president three times and served in Congress. It quickly became a popular attraction. 'The Venetian Pool was more than just the community pool, it was also a way to attract ... developers and people to purchase their homes,' said Coral Gables City Manager Carolina Vester, who started her career with the city over 20 years ago as a lifeguard at the pool and later worked as its manager. '[Coral Gables founder] George Merrick set forth big attraction events where people were coming in to purchase property, and he had to entertain them,' she said. The Venetian Pool hosted beauty contests, dance performances and aquatic shows. Jackie Ott 'The Aqua Tot' was one of many celebrities who performed. He started at the age of 4, dressing up, swimming, aquaplaning and diving through fire hoops. The pool would often also become a makeshift amphitheater where opera singers and orchestras would perform at the bottom of the drained pool. On the city's 90th anniversary, the Miami Symphony Orchestra recreated one of those music performances, assembling on the pool floor. ' Not much has actually changed of how it looked a hundred years ago to what it looks like today,' Vester said. 'And that's the beauty of preservation.' During a $2 million renovation in 1987, a 10-foot tall diving board was removed. Also, pumps were installed to recirculate water. 'We actually drain and fill the pool every single night from Memorial Day to Labor Day,' Vester said. 'That's about 820,000 gallons of water, and we don't waste it. ... We have two injection wells across the street, and they inject the water at high velocity back down into the aquifer about a hundred feet underground.' The water naturally percolates through the limestone bedrock, which acts as a filter, before it reaches the Biscayne Aquifer, Vester said. 'So we're constantly recirculating the water, both manually and naturally,' she said. 'That's very, very unique to the pool. This pool is one of a kind.' In preparation for the city's centennial anniversary celebrations, the pool has been undergoing renovations since October. It is scheduled to reopen this summer. Bahamian workers built The City Beautiful Many locals know little about the Bahamian people who quarried the rock to build Coral Gables. At the turn of the 20th century, a large portion of Miami's Black population was from the Bahamas. Many farmers from there would travel seasonally to South Florida to work the region's agricultural crops. 'As laborers, they built churches and residences, hotels and businesses for Coral Gables, 'The City Beautiful,'' said Dorothy Jenkins Fields, a Bahamian descendant and founder of the Black Archives Foundation. 'I'm always so proud to be able to say that, because we were a big part of making it beautiful — not only with the construction, but also with the gardens and the landscaping.' Entrepreneurs advertised their construction projects in Bahamian newspapers to attract workers. The site where Coral Gables Senior High School is today was once a tent city for construction workers. By the 1920s, Bahamians became essential to the local economy. READ MORE: 'Long overdue': Historic marker celebrates Black community that helped establish Coral Gables 'These early pioneers knew how to use lumber to construct buildings, but they had no idea of how to deal with coral rock, which is the foundation of South Florida,' while Bahamians had experience using coral rock back home, said Marvin Dunn, a retired and renowned local historian and author of Black Miami in the Twentieth Century. Many houses as well as structures around the city — like the Alhambra and Douglas entrances — were built with coral rock. During this time of racial segregation and institutionalized racism, Bahamian workers faced many challenges here, including exploitation, unsafe working conditions and even displacement. 'There were no protections against accidents or injuries. Some people, in the course of building Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, died in accidents. No compensation. The amount of pay was barely above the level to sustain a family,' Dunn told WLRN. Bahamians and Black Southerners who had been living near the University of Miami were pushed out to make way for student dormitories. As part of a deal with Merrick and the university, community members moved across U.S. 1 to an area now known as the Golden Gate and MacFarlane Homestead subdivisions. ' In the mornings they would work for George Merrick. ... And in the afternoons they would come, and they would build their homes,' said Carl Leon Prime, president of the Lola B. Walker Homeowners Association and third-generation Macfarlane Homestead resident. In his neighborhood, there are 36 original bungalow and shotgun-style houses with apparent Bahamian influences that have survived for more than a century. Many are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 'It shows real craftsmanship and attention to detail that you can't get anywhere else,' Prime said. Today, many residents of those communities are descendants of the neighborhoods' pioneering families. Leigh Cooper-Willis, 34, grew up in Golden Gate, like generations in her family before her. '[My family] came to work for George Merrick, and then they lived in this house,' said Cooper-Willis, a fourth-generation descendant. 'And then my grandfather was born on that property. Then my mother, and now I live there with my family, [with] my son.' Prime also lives in the house that his grandfather built in 1936 at another location and moved to the current spot two years later. ' We can tell the family history in the avocado trees in the yard,' Prime said. When his grandfather moved the house, a tree was already planted there. Near it is the tree that his father planted and, between them, is the avocado tree that Prime planted himself as a child. Earlier this year, the city of Coral Gables celebrated the predominantly Black neighborhood bordering Coconut Grove for its historic contributions in marking its centennial. In an opinion letter published by the Miami Herald, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago mentioned the commission will further honor this legacy by commissioning a public sculpture to be installed at Merrick Park across from City Hall.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Happy Mother's Day: Church built for a mom leaves a lasting legacy
If the magnificent building at the corner of Park and King Streets in Jacksonville, Florida, could speak, what a story it would have to tell. It was designed in 1925 and completed in 1926 by the famous architect, Addison Mizner, who is known as the most important individual in popularizing the Mediterranean Revival style in Florida during the boom years of the 1920's. He was instrumental in developing Boca Raton and transforming Palm Beach. The unique church building he designed combines ingredients of Romanesque, Byzantine, and Spanish church architecture and was considered by his contemporaries to be Mizner's masterpiece. While the architect himself was not particularly religious, his mother was devout, and he had promised her that he would one day design a church for her. When approached by the fledgling congregation who wondered how they would pay him if he said 'yes,' his stipulation was that they not pay him, as he wanted to design the church in the blessed memory of his mother, Ella Watson Mizner. Ella had six sons, one of whom was a Reverend, and a daughter, and spent most of her life in San Francisco. She lived her last three years in her son Addison's home in Port Washington, New York, where she died in his care on April 6, 1915. This magnificent building, Riverside Baptist Church, is on the National Register, and was my home church, the only church I knew growing up. Recently I attended a state-wide Cooperative Baptist Fellowship meeting there. I was not prepared for the flood of emotion I felt being in this beautiful and sacred place for a few days, a place that is foundational for me. The church membership has declined through the years, as is true of so many churches in America, and the upkeep of a large property by so few members has been a daunting task. But I was energized by the ways in which the current membership is looking to be the presence of Christ in its neighborhood in creative and redemptive ways. The pastor of Riverside Church, as it is now known, Rev. Adam Gray, a native of Jacksonville, is a gifted person of grace, who speaks with wisdom and eloquence, is musically talented, and a visionary. I feel grateful for the ways in which he is guiding his eager congregation to build on the rich history of this great church going forward. And when, in our concluding worship service for the recent conference, I heard the stunning beauty of the rare Skinner Organ, another leap of faith in purchasing and maintaining that the church bravely undertook in 1925, I felt a sense of relief that my home church was not only going to survive, but thrive. It stretched my heart in ways that I had not realized needing stretching, and I am grateful. As we come to Mother's Day, I think of the remarkable ways in which a successful architect, in keeping his promise to his beloved mother, has made a profound difference in the lives of so many. My own experience as a child growing up in this church was to admire the ways in which the mothers and other strong women of the church, while not always credited for the hard work they did, were responsible for the care of so much of our congregational life. From teaching, to encouraging, to cooking, to chaperoning, to landscaping, to decorating, to praying, to delivering flowers from worship, to visiting the sick, it was the mothers, or those women who mothered us, who kept the church alive and well. I remember to this day a song that we sang on Mother's Day each year at Riverside Baptist Church. As choirs, including children, youth, and adults, we processed down the aisle to open worship, singing, 'We offer thanks and praise to God, for our mothers whose devoted love, through all the changing years has been as faithful as the stars above.' While I understand now that this idealization of motherhood may place undue burden on mothers who have needs of their own to consider, or isolate women who are not able or do not chose to be mothers, or stigmatize those who had a mother who could not or would not be their best selves, it was a comfort to imagine such loving protection from my own mother and other mothers in the church in whom I found acceptance and encouragement. While I have known both precious joy and deep heartache and disappointment in the mothering of my own children, I have in recent years been blessed to act as a mother figure to several young adults whose lives I have been fortunate to touch. I have always admired those mothers who have found deep contentment in the role of mothering and have blessed their children with this singular priority. Like too many preacher's children, PKs as they are called, I know and regret that my priority was often the church. I thank God for the opportunity to try again with these dear young adults who allow me to love them, and with my grandchildren, whose love fills my heart. And what a joy to be reminded of my own dear mother, in the church where she and my father raised me, and all that she did not only to mother me, but also so many of the youth that adore her to this day. She worked in the nursery at Riverside for more than 40 years and in that time helped many children see the love of God in her tender care. Her sensitivity to little ones who were shy about being in the nursery was palpable. Her delight in having youth in her home on Sunday evenings for after-worship fellowship was an embarrassment to me as a teen, as she invited youth to work puzzles or to shell field peas, but the youth seemed to love it. Her encouragement of me always in whatever I wished to pursue and her guidance when she felt I was headed in the wrong direction is deeply appreciated as I as an aging adult realize all that she sacrificed for me and how much she loved me. This Mother's Day, I pray that we all will spend some time reflecting on the role of our mothers in our lives, with a gracious spirit of forgiveness and gratitude. And when necessary, apply that same spirit to our own lives as we seek to be encouragers of those we may still 'parent' in ways that bring encouragement to them and healing to us. Happy Mother's Day! The Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of Tallahassee Fellowship. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Happy Mother's Day: Church built for a mom leaves a lasting legacy
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
Palm Beach hidden gem offers a nature escape at the center of Midtown
This story is part of our weekly Hidden Gems feature series as the USA TODAY Network – Florida takes readers around the state to highlight some of our most interesting attractions. Nestled in the heart of Palm Beach's historic Midtown neighborhood is a place where Florida's natural ecosystem thrives among a sea of Mediterranean Revival architecture. Pan's Garden, established in 1994 on the campus of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, encompasses just half an acre, but it is the state's oldest all-native garden and includes 280 species of native plants that showcase Florida's wetland, coastal and upland flora. Like the natural areas of those regions, guest shouldn't expect a perfectly pruned and landscaped garden, foundation horticulturalist Susan Lerner said. 'My philosophy is that people should have an experience of being in nature, and to that end, sometimes they might have to walk around a few leaves, instead of having the clear path for them and their friends,' Lerner said. 'I want people to interact with the garden in subtle and direct ways.' The garden was established in 1994 with the backing of foundation member Lydia Mann, who wanted to create a peaceful place for residents and visitors, where children can learn the joy of nature, Lerner said. Its environment allows plants 'to be themselves' and grow more naturally, though the garden does undergo the occasional trimming and daily weeding. Upon entry, guests are greeted by the garden's namesake, a bronze statue of Pan of Rohallion, the ancient Greek god of the wild, created in 1890 by American sculptor Frederick MacMonnies. Flanking the main entrance of the garden is a sample of Florida's coastline flora, including endangered beach clustervines, known for their wispy vines and star-shaped white flowers, alongside East Coast dune sunflowers and silver palms. At the north end of the garden is the wetland area where bald cypress trees, bamboo-like scouring rush and a mistletoe cactus, named after the small white berries at the end of their stems, surround the garden's water lily-peppered pond. Traveling south from the wetland area is the central pavilion. In a nod to Addison Mizner, the architect credited with popularizing Palm Beach's signature Mediterranean Revival style, the pavilion's roof features Cuban barrel roof tiles created by Reich Metal fabricators, a shop that was once part of Mizner's production team. West of the central pavilion is the historic Casa Apava landscape wall, designed by architect Abram Garfield, son of President James Garfield. The wall was rescued by the Preservation Foundation in 1993, when the former owner of the estate, E.F. 'Bud" Hansen Jr., carved the land into smaller lots. At the southern portion of the garden is the upland area, which features the wildflower walk, an unshaded portion of the garden where plants that need direct sunlight bloom triumphantly. Lining the western edge of the garden are coonties, shrubs with palm-life fronds that are the only cyad native to North America. A prehistoric plant species, cyads are often referred to as living fossils. As an all-native garden, the location is a hot spot for wildlife, with butterflies of all species regularly visiting the garden's flowers. The garden's coonties also are the host plant for the larvae of the atala butterfly, a native species famed for its iridescent black-and-white speckled coloration. Pan's Garden also is among the birdwatching locations listed in Cornell Lab of Ornithology's popular eBird bird sighting database. Throughout the year, birdwatchers can catch a variety of local bird species bathing at the garden's fountains and pond, from the red-headed pileated woodpecker to the ever-chirpy mockingbird, among others. A Cooper's hawk also regularly visits the garden, Lerner said. Just like the island's residents, a hosts of bird species stop at the garden during the winter months, including a pair of mottled ducks that stop by the garden each year. Other migratory bird species seen at the garden include the American redstart, black-and-white warbler, palm warbler and the yellow-throated warbler. As a garden with plenty of shade, Pan's Garden is a great location to stop by throughout the year. Birds visit the garden year-round, though winter offers the best chance to catch a sight of the migratory bird species. Pan's Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Sunday, and requires no admission. It's located at 386 Hibiscus Ave. in Palm Beach. For more information, visit the Pan's Garden page at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach website at Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Pan's Garden provides nature escape at the center of Palm Beach
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ritzy Florida enclave becomes Chinese smuggling hot spot as former military identifies driving force
In a ritzy enclave of South Florida, Chinese migrants are coming ashore via boat, leading to an investigation into human smuggling networks. Coral Gables is a picturesque city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, known for its Mediterranean Revival architecture, tree-lined streets and lush landscapes. One Coral Gables neighborhood, Gables Estates, is ranked as the most expensive housing market in the country, according to data by Zillow. But in recent months, the dazzling city has seen an uptick of Chinese migrant interceptions. The city's uptick is representative of the Sunshine State's influx of Chinese nationals since 2020, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. In 2020, Florida Border Protection officers interacted with 406 Chinese migrants and by 2024, that number jumped to 723 – a 78% increase. China Expands Influence Near Wealthy Florida Enclave As Migrants From Communist Country Flood Into Us Fox News Digital spoke with Eric Brown, a retired Green Beret and the founder and CEO of Imperio Consulting, about the increase of migrants in the South Florida town. Read On The Fox News App "Coral Gables is adjacent to international waterways, and with Cuba just 90 miles from the coastline of Florida, it just makes sense," Brown said. In January – just days before President Donald Trump was sworn into office – a group of more than 30 migrants, most of them Chinese citizens, was found inside a U-Haul van. Coral Gables Police Chief Edward James Hudak Jr. said the department issued a BOLO – a be on the lookout alert – for the van and a Toyota car after a resident reported the suspicious vehicles. The vehicles were stopped by officers, and the woman who was allegedly abducted was taken from the Toyota. Between the U-Haul and Toyota, police found more than 20 Chinese migrants, one male from Cuba and a female from Ecuador. "We do believe these individuals were brought here by the water," the chief said. "They were probably dropped off, we're assuming somewhere around the southern end of Coral Gables, and approached on foot to the van where they were loaded into." Brown said he believes that migrants are entering illegally through the U.S. because the northern border has a "bit more security." "It's also a lot easier to fly into a South American country and smuggle across than it is through Canada," he said. "And human smugglers are using an established pathway through South America and Central America to bring migrants through safely." Migrant Border Encounters Under Trump Continue To Dwarf Biden's Record Highs At the end of January, Florida law enforcement intercepted dozens of Chinese nationals in Coral Gables. Two smugglers were arrested, one from Cuba and one from Puerto Rico, Coral Gables police said. "For the second time in just over a week, a very alert resident saw suspicious activity which was later determined to be illegal entry into our country," Hudak said. "They called the Coral Gables Police and within minutes, our police units arrived in the area and detained 26 Chinese nationals and two men (one Puerto Rican and one Cuban) in two separate vans." Brown noted that the border initially saw an influx of family groups fleeing to the U.S. from China, but now two-thirds of Chinese migrants coming into the U.S. are single men of military age, traveling alone, and claiming they don't speak any English. "There needs to be better discussion between the state and national levels about sharing resources, increasing air-based technology at the border," he said. "For instance, the use of surveillance drones and updating technology could be a good place to start." Fox News Digital has reached out to the Coral Gables Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security for article source: Ritzy Florida enclave becomes Chinese smuggling hot spot as former military identifies driving force
