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The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted dozens of migrants on Tuesday who had been crammed inside a “makeshift” boat close to Puerto Rico making a treacherous journey to the U.S.
The rickety, 30-foot-long, white-colored vessel, which had “J5” painted throughout its aspect, was picked up about 27 nautical miles southwest of Puerto Rico’s Mona Island with 51 determined migrants and a suspected smuggler inside, officers mentioned.
The 51 migrants are from the Dominican Republic whereas the suspected smuggler, who the Coast Guard additionally described as being a migrant, is from Haiti, the Coast Guard mentioned in a press launch.
The Dominican migrants had been despatched again to their dwelling nation by the use of a Dominican Republic Navy vessel whereas the Haitian is in U.S. custody and is dealing with federal prosecution underneath unauthorized alien smuggling legal guidelines.
60 MIGRANTS RESCUED FROM MAKESHIFT VESSEL TAKING ON WATER NEAR DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, COAST GUARD SAYS
The Coast Guard intercepted dozens of migrants on Tuesday who had been crammed inside a “makeshift” boat close to Puerto Rico making a treacherous journey to the U.S. (U.S. Coast Guard)
Officers mentioned that members aboard a Coast Guard airplane – an HC-144 Ocean Sentry plane – noticed the “makeshift vessel collaborating in an illegal maritime migration voyage” on Saturday night time. Puerto Rico is about 1,000 miles from the Florida Keys in southern Florida.
The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Joseph Tezanos then responded to interdict the suspect vessel.
DHS WARNS HAITIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRIVING BY BOAT FACE ‘IMMEDIATE REPATRIATION’
The rickety boat {that a} smuggler and 51 migrants utilized in an try and journey to the U.S. (Coast Guard)
“This profitable interdiction was as a result of swift response and professionalism of the Coast Guard items and watchstanders concerned,” Lt. Cmdr. Edward Kunigonis, chief of enforcement of the San Juan sector, mentioned.
“These voyages constantly threaten the protection of migrants, lots of which don’t absolutely perceive how really harmful the voyage could also be till it’s too late. We urge anybody pondering of collaborating in an illegal maritime migration voyage to not take to the ocean; use lawful pathways.”
The Coast Guard didn’t present the age or sexes of the apprehended migrants.
Migrants who’re interdicted at sea or apprehended ashore is not going to be allowed to remain within the U.S. or any of its territories, the Coast Guard mentioned.
“Moreover, anybody who arrives unlawfully could also be declared ineligible for authorized immigration parole choices and be repatriated to their nation of origin or returned to the nation from the place the voyage departed from,” the assertion reads.
The Coast Guard and the Homeland Safety Job Pressure guards air, land and sea property within the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage and the Caribbean Sea, the Coast Guard mentioned.
The vessel was picked up about 27 nautical miles southwest of Puerto Rico’s Mona Island. Puerto Rico is about 1000 miles from the Florida Keys in southern Florida. (Google Maps)
Since Oct. 1 by means of April 30, the Coast Guard has intercepted 35 totally different teams of migrants within the Mona Passage and waters close to Puerto Rico.
The teams consisted of 1,199 non-U.S. residents, 1,141 of which had been from the Dominican Republic, 57 from Haiti, and one from Venezuela.
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Final month, a Carnival cruise ship rescued 27 Cuban nationals discovered adrift and signaling for assist roughly 20 miles west of Cuba.
In the meantime, in March, regulation enforcement apprehended two dozen unlawful migrants – together with girls and kids – off the coast of Florida in a big fishing boat.
Michael Dorgan is a author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise.
You’ll be able to ship tricks to michael.dorgan@fox.com and comply with him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
52 US-bound migrants packed inside rickety boat apprehended off Puerto Rico
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