MIAMI — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Pea Island repatriated seven Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Wednesday.
A good Samaritan located a raft about 150 miles west of Key West, Fla., Sunday and contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Key West. Coast Guard Cutter Thetis crewmembers responded and interdicted the migrants without incident. After medical screening aboard Thetis, the migrants were transferred to the Pea Island.
During the month of June, the Coast Guard and partner agencies have interdicted a total of 64 undocumented migrants of multiple nationalities in unsafe maritime migration and migrant smuggling incidents in the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Florida Straits.
“Although much of the nation’s attention is on the Deepwater Horizon response, our day-to-day missions of search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime stewardship remain important, too,” said Capt. Peter Brown, Coast Guard District Seven chief of response. “We will continue to patrol vigilantly to rescue and repatriate migrants who take to the sea and, together with our partner agencies, we will vigorously investigate and prosecute migrant smuggling and associated crime.”
Once aboard Coast Guard cutters, all migrants are provided with food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.
The Thetis is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Key West.
The Pea Island is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Key West.
