SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon repatriated 15 migrants to Dominican Republic, Friday, following the interdiction of an irregular, unlawful migration voyage in Mona Passage waters near Puerto Rico, Thursday night.
One of the repatriated migrants was interdicted in a separate migrant voyage on July 30, 2024.
During a patrol of Mona Passage waters, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Caribbean Air and Marine Branch aircrew notified Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders of a 30-foot suspected migrant vessel sighting southwest of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Cutter Richard Dixon and crew responded to the scene and successfully stopped the suspect vessel. Following the interdiction, the crew embarked 14 migrants, 11 men and three women, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals.
“The close interagency collaboration between the responding Customs and Border Protection aircrew, Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan and the cutter Richard Dixon crew led to a successful interdiction,” said Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Sector San Juan chief of response. “These professionals work daily to save lives put at risk by smuggling organizations that overload unseaworthy makeshift vessels to make the dangerous voyage across the Mona Passage. We urge those thinking of taking part in one of these voyages to not take to the sea at risk to your life, and instead seek safe, orderly and lawful migration pathways.”
Migrants who are interdicted at sea or apprehended ashore will not be allowed to stay in the United States or a U.S. territory. Furthermore, anyone who arrives unlawfully may be declared ineligible for legal immigration parole options and be repatriated to their country of origin or returned to the country of departure.
The Coast Guard, along with its Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast partners, maintains a continual presence with air, land, and sea assets in the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage, and the Caribbean Sea in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry. The HSTF-SE combined, multi-layered approach is designed to protect the safety of life at sea while preventing unlawful maritime entry to the United States and its territories.
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