OCHOPEE, Fla. (AP) — What was meant to be a surprise inspection turned into a tightly managed tour, but what Florida lawmakers saw inside Alligator Alcatraz left them horrified.

On Saturday afternoon, four Florida representatives, including Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Darren Soto (FL-9), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), along with other lawmakers, were given what they call a "sanitized tour" of Alligator Alcatraz by Florida's Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and federal officials.

The tour, which was intended to be an unannounced visit, was undermined when the State of Florida announced its planned tour, at the same time on the same day.

A joint news release from the Representatives stated that despite the alleged limited access and sanitization of the tour, the conditions were "horrific."

The Members reported seeing people held in cages, unsanitary eating conditions, people begging for freedom, a man who said he had been hospitalized for days, among other concerning conditions.

See also: Lawmakers visit 'Alligator Alcatraz,' but some wonder how much they'll get to see

At a Friday news conference, Governor Ron DeSantis defended the facility’s management, saying, “It’s not the Four Seasons.” He added that the facility was professionally run and was "value added."

The president also praised the state of Florida and credited DeSantis for using the "perfect piece of land "on top of something that was already developed."

In a Zoom conference hosted by Representative Maxwell Frost following the tour, he described seeing cages holding up to 32 people each, drinking water coming from toilets, bugs everywhere, people yelling "help me," and some chanting that they were U.S. citizens.

"They essentially get their drinking water, and they brush their teeth where they poop," Wasserman Schultz addressed the media outside Alligator Alcatraz.

Frost also said that the members were denied access to the medical facilities, with tour guides claiming it was due to HIPAA regulations, though Frost stated that simply viewing the facilities does not constitute a HIPAA violation.

In addition to those concerns, he noted that detainees said the food got a little bit better the day before the visit, and they were able to shower, which was previously not a common occurrence.

“There are really disturbing, vile conditions. This place needs to be shut the hell down,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz following the tour. “This place is a stunt, and they’re abusing human beings here.”

Previous reports from an inmate, which were denied by DHS, claimed that there was no water to shower, the lights stay on all day, and the food is limited and sometimes spoiled.

"Everyone should be pissed off that their money is being used for an internment camp in the middle of the Everglades," said Frost.

The Members also cited environmental concerns, stating that the facility sidestepped all required environmental permitting, including light pollution, damaged wetlands, destroyed habitats for wildlife, and increased risk of spills into sensitive waters.

"It probably costs double the amount to put this facility here instead of by chrome, which begs the question, why are they spending all of this money for this to be here?" Representative Soto told reporters. "The director's answer was that he was not given a single reason for why they chose this location."

Nonetheless, the Members say they plan to return for an undisclosed inspection soon.

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