Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier file photo.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier repatriated 74 Dominicans Republic nationals and returned eight Haitians to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel Tuesday afternoon, following three separate illegal voyage interdictions in Mona Passage waters off Puerto Rico.
The interdictions are the result of ongoing local and federal multi-agency efforts in support of the Caribbean Border Interagency Group CBIG.
“The Coast Guard actively patrols Mona Passage waters daily alongside our partners in the Caribbean Border Interagency Group partners to stop illegal smuggling vessels at sea and safeguard human lives,” said Capt. José E. Díaz, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander. “We urge anyone thinking of taking part in an illegal voyage to not take to the sea! These voyages are dangerous; you will be putting your life at risk in the hands of smugglers who are capable of embarking you aboard grossly overloaded makeshift vessels with no lifesaving equipment and abandoning you in some very harsh conditions and dangerous environments.”
The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos interdicted the first illegal voyage vessel in which the crew embarked six Dominican Republic nationals, five men and a woman. The aircrew of a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine multi-role enforcement aircraft initially sighted the illegal voyage vessel Sunday night in waters northwest of Rincon, Puerto Rico.
The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos interdicted the second illegal voyage vessel in which the crew embarked 23 Dominican Republic nationals, 16 men and seven women, and a Haitian man. The aircrew of a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine multi-role enforcement aircraft initially sighted the illegal voyage vessel Monday morning in waters northwest of Rincon, Puerto Rico.
The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier interdicted the third illegal voyage vessel in which the crew embarked 45 Dominican Republic nationals, 40 men and five women; and seven Haitians, five men and two women. Coast Guard watchstanders received a report from the Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Center – Caribbean of the illegal voyage sighting Tuesday morning in waters northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
Since October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022, the Coast Guard carried out 88 illegal voyage interdictions in the Mona Passage and waters near Puerto Rico. Interdicted during this period, are 2,273 non-U.S. citizens including 1,705 Dominicans, 444 Haitians, four Cubans, two Ecuadorians, 67 Venezuelans, 12 Uzbeks, two Iranians, one Colombian, one Spaniard and 35 of unknown nationalities.
Cutters Joseph Tezanos and Joseph Napier are 154-foot fast response cutters homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Family members in the United States inquiring about possible family members interdicted at sea, please contact your local U.S. representative. Relatives located outside the United States please contact your local U.S. Embassy.
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