MIAMI — Repatriation of 35 Cuban migrants was conducted by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Ocracoke to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Thursday.
On Sunday, Coast Coast watchstanders received notification of a chug south of Key West, Fla., with migrants aboard. Coast Guard Cutter Kodiak Island was diverted, embarked the migrants and transferred them to the cutter Ocracoke who repatriated 11 migrants Friday.
Coast Guard 7th District command center watchstanders received notification of a vessel with 24 Cuban migrants south of Marquesas, Fla., Tuesday. The Coast Guard cutter Oak was diverted, and the crew safely embarked the migrants and transferred them to the cutter Ocracoke who repatriated the 24 migrants Friday.
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants recieve food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.
“The U.S. Coast Guard and its partners maintain a robust patrol presence throughout the Caribbean Sea to deter illicit maritime activity,” said Capt. Brendan McPherson, chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District. “Hurricanes pose a severe threat during hurricane season and our primary concern is always for the safety of these migrants who are putting their lives at extreme risk in unseaworthy vessels and to protect our nation’s borders by deterring dangerous and illegal activity.”
The cutter Kodiak Island is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Key West, Fla.
The cutter Oak is a 225-foot sea-going buoy tender homeported in Charleston, South Carolina.
Patrol boats like the Kodiak Island are the workhorses of America’s littoral maritime fleet. Possessing superior speed and flexibility, Coast Guard patrol boats deliver the Coast Guard’s unique blend of military capability, law enforcement authority and lifesaving expertise wherever needed along the coast.
