Tropic Air Rescue Runs Ground Ambulances at Deportation Depot, Gained License as Facility Opened and Later Gave $100,000 to Donalds-Linked PAC
Why It MattersAir-medical operators are being drawn into state-funded immigration-detention logistics, tying a charter and rescue business to government contracting and political exposure beyond its core aviation work.
Tropic Air Rescue, a Fort Lauderdale air rescue company, is responsible for urgent medical transportation at Deportation Depot, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Sanderson, Florida, rather than Baker County Fire and Rescue, according to a Jacksonville Today investigation. The inquiry began after a review of recorded phone calls from detainees, translated from Spanish, that included reports of frequent ambulance sightings.
State records show company owner Anthony Marinello obtained a Florida ground ambulance license on Sept. 3, the day after Deportation Depot began accepting people detained in immigration raids. Marinello, a former New Jersey state trooper and mayor of Springfield Township, acquired Tropic Air Charters in 2021 and rebranded it as an emergency rescue business with a helicopter fleet. Florida Department of Health officials said the company has seven licensed ambulances, though Baker County records show personal insurance cards for three vehicles belonging to Access Restoration Services, another company.
Marinello was subcontracted in 2025 by IRG Global Emergency Management, led by politically connected contractor Robbie Meek, under a $40 million agreement with the state to transport detainees. Marinello declined to say how much he earns from the ambulance and deportation-flight work. Florida's contract tracking system shows nearly $38 million has been paid to IRG for its Deportation Depot work, with almost $7 million paid on Nov. 3. Meek did not respond to calls or emails.
In October, Tropic Air made a $100,000 contribution to a political action committee connected to Gov.-elect Byron Donalds. State records show the company made no political donations before the subcontracting arrangement. Marinello said the donation was unrelated to his Deportation Depot work and called the ambulance move a business decision: "It's called a contract."
