Stopping illegal migration to USA

The sketchiest boats afloat are in use as people seek to reach the shores of the USA.

The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 84 Haitians to Haitian authorities on March 15 following two interdictions of undocumented migrants – one was 43 miles south of Turk and Caicos Island while the other was 60 miles east of Punta De Maisi, Cuba.

Both instances occurred on overloaded sail freighters with the migrants removed from their vessels due to safety of life at sea concerns.

“The Coast Guard is significantly increasing its patrols of the Windward Pass and the approaches to the southeastern United States to interdict and rescue migrants found aboard grossly overloaded, unseaworthy vessels,” said Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson, Coast Guard District Seven Commander. “These illegal voyages are always dangerous and often deadly.”

On the same day, the U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 21 people to Cuba following two prior interdictions of undocumented migrants due to safety of life at sea concerns.

While on a routine patrol, Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore’s crew interdicted a sailing vessel approximately 46 miles south of Key West. On the other occasion, a Good Samaritan notified the Coast Guard of a rustic vessel approximately 5 miles east of Islamorada.

“Coast Guard crews and our local and federal law enforcement partners maintain an active presence with air and sea assets every day through the Florida Straits to help save lives by removing people from unsafe environments and deterring dangerous migrant voyages,” said Lt. Karolina Del Hierro Vega, a Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer “We urge people not to take to the sea in unseaworthy vessels.”