Seventh Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office
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| Press Release | Date: April 21, 2006 Contact: Ricardo Castrodad Sector San Juan Public Affairs Specialist (787) 510-7923 |
Coast Guard repatriates 87 Dominican migrants to the Dominican Republic |
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated at 8 a.m. today 87 Dominican migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic. The migrants were interdicted at sea Thursday traveling illegally to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cushing was diverted at 5:30 p.m. Thursday while on transit to the Dominican Republic to repatriate 61 Dominican migrants. The migrants were interdicted Thursday by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo. The Cushing was diverted to interdict two 15-foot yolas, one with 11 male Dominican migrants and the second with 11 male and four female Dominican migrants that were located by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft. The yola was sighted by the aircraft approximately 14 nautical miles south of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The Cushing transferred all 26 migrants to the cutter and destroyed both yolas at the scene as hazards to navigation. The Cushing continued to make way for the Dominican Republic and repatriated all 87 migrants pierside to Dominican Republic Navy officials in La Romana, Dominican Republic. The first group of 61 Dominican migrants was located Thursday by a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico. The 35 male and 26 female Dominican migrants were aboard a 30-foot yola. The yola was sighted by the crew of the helicopter approximately 12 nautical miles southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The Key Largo arrived on scene and safely embarked all 61 Dominican migrants on the cutter. During the migrant transfer, an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter flew rescue support overhead for the Key Largo. The crew of the Key Largo destroyed the yola as a hazard to navigation, and transferred the 61 Dominican migrants to the Cushing near Mayaguez Bay. The Cushing proceeded to conduct the repatriation of the migrants pier side La Romana, Dominican Republic. Since Oct. 2005, approximately 2,300 Dominican 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. Cutter's Key Largo and Cushing are 110-foot patrol boats home ported in Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico. ### |
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