Ron DeSantis Lands in Miami for Bay of Pigs News Conference

Ron DeSantis flew from Naples Municipal Airport to Miami International Airport on May 8, 2026, aboard the state-owned Cessna Citation Latitude with tail number N943FL. Departing at 2:57 p.m. Eastern time, the brief 23-minute flight reached a maximum altitude of 13,000 feet and touched down at 3:20 p.m., a quick hop across the peninsula for the Florida governor.

The arrival coincides with a scheduled news conference at 3:45 p.m. at the Bay of Pigs Museum and Library in Miami's Little Havana, per a WWSB report. Though the agenda remains under wraps, the venue—a shrine to the 1961 invasion and Cuban exile history—hints at potential remarks on immigration policy or ties with the state's influential Cuban-American community, especially amid ongoing debates over facilities like the controversial 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center. DeSantis has long courted this bloc with pointed rhetoric against Castro's legacy.

Such short-haul jaunts reflect DeSantis's routine as governor, crisscrossing Florida for official duties via the Department of Law Enforcement's aircraft. Earlier that day, the plane ferried him from near Tallahassee to Naples; previous legs included Orlando to the capital on May 7. Miami ranks among his recurring stops, alongside Tampa and Jacksonville, underscoring the demands of state leadership in a sprawling Sunshine State.