MIAMI — The Coast Guard repatriated 25 Haitian migrants to Cap Haitien, Haiti, and 31 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Tuesday.
These repatriations are a result of five separate attempts to illegally migrate to the United States.
On June 9, 2014, the Coast Guard Cutter Drummond interdicted 25 Haitian migrants on a yola vessel west of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The migrants were transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma and then to the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence for repatriation to Haiti.
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The following Friday, three separate interdictions totaling 31 migrants took place in the Florida Straits. The crews of Coast Guard Station Key West, Florida, Coast Guard Station Marathon, Florida, the Coast Guard Cutter Sawfish and Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo interdicted the migrants and safely removed them from their unseaworthy vessels.
All the migrants interdicted were transferred to the Coast Guard Cutters Knight Island and Confidence for repatriation.
“The Coast Guard and our partner agencies continue to diligently patrol the waters around the United States to deter illegal migrant activity,” said Capt. Mark Fedor, chief of response enforcement. “Our main concern is the safety of life at sea. When migrants put their lives in the hands of smugglers, or take to the sea aboard unseaworthy vessels, they put their lives at grave risk.”
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter all migrants receive food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention.
The Coast Guard Cutter Knight Island is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Key West.
The Coast Guard Cutter Confidence is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Port Canaveral, Florida.
