Key West Declared a Faux War on the United States in 1982

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By Darien Cavanaugh,War Is Boring

Originally published on April 3, 2015.

The people of Key West, Florida don’t take kindly to bullies, especially federal bullies. When Washington blocked the only road to the mainland, the islanders formed their own nation … then caused a series of international incidents.

It all started on April 18, 1982, when residents and tourists leaving the Florida Keys ran into an unexpected delay. Without prior notice, the U.S. Border Patrol had set up a roadblock and checkpoint on U.S. Route 1 in front of Skeeter’s Last Chance Saloon in Florida City. It was the only road out of town.

Although they were not crossing a national border, agents required U.S. citizens leaving the Keys to verify their citizenship and submit their vehicles to a search. That’s despite the roadblock not being on an international border.

The roadblock served to prevent undocumented immigrants from entering the U.S. through the Keys. The area had seen an influx of immigrants and refuges from Cuba since the Mariel Boatlift two years earlier. But Border Patrol agents also used the stops to search for illegal drugs.