Coast Guard Cutter Campbell crew repatriates 81 Haitians to Cap-Haitian, Haiti, May 3, 2023. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
MIAMI — Coast Guard crews repatriated 166 people to Haiti, repatriated 27 people to Cuba and transferred 66 people to the Bahamas, Wednesday, following five interdictions off the coasts of Florida, Haiti and Cuba.
The Coast Guard, along with Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast partners, maintains a continual presence with air, land and sea assets in South Florida, the Florida Straits and the Caribbean Sea, collaborating to protect safety of life at sea. With their combined multi-layered approach, they were able to interdict several illegal maritime migration events over the past week.
The Coast Guard Cutter Dependable (WMEC 626) crew notified District 7 watchstanders of two Haitian vessels, Monday, approximately 40 miles north of Ile de la Tortue, Haiti.
The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton (WMSL 753) crew notified District 7 watchstanders, Sunday, of a migrant vessel 30 miles north of Cayo Cruz Del Padre, Cuba.
Miami-Dade Police Department notified Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders, Saturday, about a recreational boat moored at Crandon Park with suspected migrants aboard.
A good Samaritan notified Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders, Thursday, of a pleasure craft about 35 miles southeast of West Palm Beach with suspected migrants aboard.
“Following the DHS immigration parole process change that was announced April 27th, migrants interdicted on the water attempting to enter the United States unlawfully will be ineligible for the Cuban and Haitian parole processes that were announced this past January,” said Cmdr. Ernest Brown, deputy incident commander, Operation Vigilant Sentry. “Our highest priority is to prevent loss of life at sea. Our Coast Guard crews, alongside Customs and Border Protection and our other mission partners across the Florida Straits, Windward Pass and the Mona Pass collaborated to act expeditiously in saving these 259 lives and repatriating them back to their country of origin.”
Since Oct. 1, 2022, Coast Guard crews have encountered 6,537 Cuban migrants and 4,458 Haitian migrants. Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.
Family members in the United States inquiring about possible family members interdicted at sea, please contact your local federal U.S. representative.
For more news follow us on Twitter and Facebook. For recent photographs follow us on Flickr.
