SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos repatriated two aliens to the Dominican Republic, Saturday, following a Puerto Rico police interdiction of a suspect vessel with five people on board just off Aguadilla.
One of the interdicted aliens, with a prior criminal history in the United States, is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico on charges of attempted illegally re-entry into the United States in violation of Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1326 b(2).
The interdiction occurred early Friday morning, Feb. 28, when two Puerto Rico Police Joint Force of Rapid Action (FURA) marine units sighted a white colored, 20-foot, panga-style vessel, approximately three nautical miles off the Aguadilla coastline. Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos to the scene. Shortly thereafter, the USCGC Joseph Tezanos crew arrived on-scene and deployed the cutter’s over-the-horizon small boat and embarked the five aliens; three men who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, and a man and a woman who claimed to be Russian nationals.
USCGC Joseph Tezanos’ crew transferred two Dominican Republic nationals to Dominican Republic Navy authorities for repatriation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Saturday. The crew also transferred the alien facing federal prosecution to U.S. Border Patrol Ramey Sector agents in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Saturday. The two Russian aliens were transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations special agents' custody in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday for investigation and removal.
“This interdiction showcases the collaboration and coordination that occurs daily in Puerto Rico between federal, state and local law enforcement authorities to protect the United States’ southernmost maritime border from illegal migration and other security threats,” said Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. “Aliens seeking to make this unlawful journey will be interdicted and repatriated, and repeat offenders are further subject to possible criminal prosecution. Don’t take to the sea.”
The United States 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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