DeSantis on Reportedly Illegal Immigrant Looters: ‘I’d Drag Them Out by the Collars and Send Them Back’

FORT MYERS (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis had strong words for three reportedly illegal immigrants looting in the Hurricane Ian-devastated Lee County area.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno announced that some looters that were arrested are in the country illegally Tuesday.

“All three of these subjects are here illegally in this country — Robert Mena, Brandon Araya, Stephen Araya — all arrested for stealing bottles on Fort Myers Beach during the hurricane. They were located and arrested. And I’m going to tell I’m not tolerating it again,” he said. “As far as looting — we have law and order in Lee County. We have law and order in our great state of Florida, and we always will.”

DeSantis has previously warned against trying to take advantage of the storm’s victims in Florida: “Don’t even think about looting… I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you may never know what is lurking behind someone’s home. I would not want to chance that given we’re a Second Amendment state.”

On the latest arrests, DeSantis said, “If I could, I would take those three looters, I’d drag them out by the collars and send them back to where they came from!”

As the storm cleared the state and recovery operations made headway, Floridians did not hold back in their warnings for potential looters.

“At the end of the day, we are not going to allow lawlessness to take advantage of this situation. We are a law and order state and this is a law and order community – so do not think you’re going to go take advantage of people who’ve suffered misfortune,” DeSantis previously remarked.

“YOU WILL BE SHOT,” one sign said. “LOOT HERE, DIE HERE,” said another.

Officials previously reported a looting incident occurred at a gas station in Fort Myers.