Seventh Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office
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| Press Release | Date: April 11, 2006 Contact: Ricardo D. Castrodad (787) 510-7923 |
U.S. Coast Guard repatriates 60 Dominican migrants to La Romana
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| SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak safely repatriated 60 Dominican migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic, today at 9:11 a.m. The migrants traveling illegally to Puerto Rico aboard an overloaded yola, were spotted by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection marine patrol aircraft at 4:20 p.m. Monday, 50 nautical miles north of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Immediately after spotting the yola, the Customs and Border Protection crew notified the Sector San Juan Command Center, where controllers diverted Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak to intercept the yola. At 6:16 p.m. the Sitkinak intercepted the yola that was carrying the Dominican migrants, 48 males and 12 females. The crew of the Sitkinak immediately distributed lifejackets to all the migrants aboard the yola before safely transferring them to the cutter. While the migrants were being transferred, a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico was flying rescue support overhead. "The U.S. Coast Guard is very serious about stopping these grossly overloaded yolas from entering illegally to Puerto Rico," said Lt. Cmdr. Dave Burns, Sector San Juan Enforcement Division Chief. "We are just as dedicated to saving lives, however, the dangers of people drowning will exist as long as they continue to risk their lives in these dangerous and illegal voyages across the Mona Passage." The yola was destroyed by the crew of the Sitkinak as a hazard to navigation. Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak is a 110 foot Patrol Boat homeported in Miami, Fla. and currently deployed to Sector San Juan. Since Oct. 2005 approximately 1,975 migrants have been interdicted at sea in the Mona Passage by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agencies (U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and Puerto Rico Police Forces United for Rapid Action. ### |
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