The Mariel Boatlift (1980)

The six-month sealift that brought about 125,000 Cubans to Florida.

From the port of Mariel

In April 1980, after thousands of Cubans crowded into the Peruvian Embassy in Havana seeking asylum, the Cuban government announced that anyone who wanted to leave could do so from the port of Mariel. Cuban Americans sailed boats across the Florida Straits to pick up relatives, and the Cuban government added others to the boats.

Arrival

About 125,000 people arrived between April and October 1980. Many were processed at military posts including Fort Chaffee.