SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore returned 60 migrants to the Dominican Republic between Wednesday and Thursday, following two separate interdictions of irregular, unlawful maritime migration voyages in Mona Passage waters near Puerto Rico.
Two of the interdicted migrants remain in U.S. custody to face federal prosecution by the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico on separate charges including attempted reentry into the United States subsequent to an aggravated felony under 8 U.S.C. 1326(b)(2), and failure to heave to under 8 U.S.C. 2237.
The first interdiction occurred Monday morning, when the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore sighted a 20-foot makeshift vessel in Mona Passage waters north of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. A responding Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft arrived on scene and provided air coverage as the cutter crew embarked all 14 migrants. Among the interdicted were 10 men and three women who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, and one other man who claimed to be a Haitian national.
The second interdiction occurred Monday afternoon, after the aircrew of a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft sighted a 30-foot makeshift vessel in waters north of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the cutter Kathleen Moore crew to interdict the suspect vessel, alongside a responding Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations boat crew. While in pursuit of the suspect vessel, the Kathleen Moore crew recovered seven passengers from the water who jumped from the non-compliant suspect vessel. All of the migrants who jumped overboard were safely recovered and embarked aboard the cutter. Shortly thereafter, the Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations boat crew successfully stopped the migrant vessel. Following the interdiction, the Kathleen Moore crew safely embarked the migrants. Among the interdicted were 39 men, eight women, and two minors who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, and one other man who claimed to be a Haitian national.
“We are very fortunate that all migrants from both cases were safely recovered, despite the great danger a smuggler exposed them to in one of the cases by refusing to stop the vessel in an attempt to flee the scene,” said Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Sector San Juan chief of response. “We urge anyone thinking of taking part in one of these voyages to not entrust their lives to human smugglers and don’t take to the sea just to be sent back. 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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