Seventh Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office
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| Press Release | Date: April 19, 2006 Contact: Ricardo Castrodad (787) 510-7923 Sector San Juan Public Affairs Specialist |
Coast Guard repatriates 193 Dominican Migrants |
| SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 59 Dominican migrants today and 134 Dominican migrants Tuesday to La Romana, Dominican Republic, bringing the fiscal year total to 2,168 Dominican migrants repatriated. Migrant cases for today's repatriation: The U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center received an initial report from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft that sighted a migrant yola 14 nautical miles northwest of Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo intercepted the 19-foot yola and embarked 7 male and one female migrants. The Key Largo proceeded to La Romana, Dominican Republic to repatriate the migrants. During the Key Largo's transit to the Dominican Republic, the crew of the Key Largo spotted a second yola at 8:22 a.m. today, approximately six nautical miles west of Isla Saona, Dominican Republic. The Key Largo proceeded to intercept the 35-foot yola in international waters, and embark 40 male and 11 female migrants that were beginning their illegal voyage to Puerto Rico. After the migrant transfer to the cutter was complete, the crew of the Key Largo repatriated all 59 migrants pier side to La Romana, Dominican Republic at 10:45 a.m. today. Migrant case for April 18 repatriation: The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak notified the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center at 4:18p.m. Tuesday that they had intercepted a migrant yola five nautical miles southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The 100 male and 34 female Dominican migrants, were traveling illegally to Puerto Rico aboard a 35-foot rustic vessel powered by twin 40-horse power Yamaha engines. The Sitkinak arrived on scene to find the yola was taking on water with the heavy load of migrants. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Puerto Rico Police Forces United For Rapid and three HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico were launched and arrived at the scene to support the Sitkinak. All supporting units stood down once the Sitkinak had control of the situation, and a HH-65 Dolphin helicopter remained on scene to provide rescue support overhead until the migrant transfer was complete. All migrants were safely transferred to the Sitkinak and repatriated pier side to La Romana, Dominican Republic at 11:20 p.m. Tuesday. The U.S. Coast Guard fiscal year 2006 runs from 1 Oct. 2005 to 30 Sept. 2006. The Key Largo is a 110-foot cutter homeported in Sector San Juan. The Sitkinak is a 110-foot cutter homeported in Miami, Fla. and currently on temporary duty at Sector San Juan. ## |
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