MIAMI – Crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Pea Island repatriated eight Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Thursday.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla., command center received notification Friday that a Customs and Border Protection Dash-8 aircraft had spotted a 14-foot open hull vessel with Cuban migrants in international water, north of Mariel, Cuba, May 20.
Coast Guard Station Key West boatcrews arrived on scene and safely embarked the eight Cuban migrants.
The migrants were later transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Knight Island and then the Pea Island for repatriation.
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.
The Pea Island is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Key West.
The Knight Island is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Key West.
For more information on how to legally immigrate to the United States, call U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at 1-800-375-5283 or visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.
