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Seventh Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office
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| Press Release |
Date: Oct. 16, 2006 Contact: Ricardo Castrodad Sector San Juan Public Affairs Specialist (787) 510-7923 |
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Coast Guard Repatriates 12 Dominicans, 6 Cubans to La Romana, Dominican Republic |
| SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Pea Island repatriated 12 Dominican and six Cuban migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic Saturday at approximately 11:23 a.m.
The crew of the Pea Island interdicted a migrant yola Friday carrying six Cubans and two Dominicans approximately 11 miles northwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Two Dominicans aboard the yola are suspected of illegal entry into the United States and were apprehended by the crew of the Pea Island and subsequently turned over to U.S. Border Patrol agents in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Saturday. The migrants were initially located by the crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection C-12 aircraft, attempting illegally to make landfall on Mona Island, Puerto Rico aboard a 17-foot yola reported stolen in the Dominican Republic. The Pea Island was en route to the Dominican Republic to repatriate 12 Dominicans previously interdicted Thursday evening by Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless, approximately 27 miles north of Punta Borinquen, Puerto Rico. Thursday's interdiction began with the aircrew of a Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon Jet locating the migrants at around 3:40 p.m. aboard a grossly overloaded 25-foot yola reported stolen in the Dominican Republic. The crew of the Dauntless embarked the migrants and later transferred them to the Pea Island for further transport to the Dominican Republic. A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico flew rescue support overhead during the interdiction and during the transfer of migrants to the Dauntless. Coast Guard Cutter Pea Island is a 110-foot patrol boat based in Saint Petersburg, Fla. Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless is as 210-foot Medium Endurance Cutter homeported in Galveston, Texas.
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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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