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Seventh Coast Guard District |
| Press Release |
Date: 13 Nov. 2006 Contact: Ricardo Castrodad Sector San Juan Public Affairs Specialist (787) 510-7923 |
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Coast Guard Repatriates 58 Dominicans to La Romana, Dominican Republic |
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Cushing repatriated 20 Dominican migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic today while the crew of the Matinicus repatriated 38 Dominican migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic and detained two suspected migrant smugglers Saturday. All 58 migrants and the two suspected smugglers were traveling illegally to Puerto Rico when they were interdicted by the crew of the Matinicus during three separate interdictions that took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During Friday's interdiction, the aircrew of a Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon Jet from Air Station Miami, Fla. located the first group of 38 migrants at around 5 p.m. approximately 35 miles northwest of Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico. The migrants were traveling aboard a grossly overloaded 30-foot yola. The crew of the Matinicus interdicted the migrant yola and embarked 29 male and nine female Dominican migrants to the cutter. Saturday's interdiction occurred at 4:25 a.m. when the Matinicus interdicted a 20-foot yola with two suspected migrant smuggler's on board, approximately 16 miles northwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The Matinicus apprehended the suspected smugglers and turned custody over Sunday to Customs and Border Protection personnel in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. At about 5 p.m. Saturday the aircrew of a Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon Jet from Air Station Miami Fla. located a 25-foot yola carrying 20 Dominican migrants, approximately 77 miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Sector San Juan Coast Guard Controllers immediately diverted the Matinicus to the scene to intercept the migrant yola. At approximately 12:15 a.m. Sunday the Matinicus interdicted the yola and embarked 15 males and five females to the cutter. The Matinicus transferred all 20 migrants to the Cushing. At 8 a.m. today the crew of the Cushing repatriated the migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic. The Matinicus destroyed all migrant yolas as hazards to navigation, and a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico flew rescue support overhead during the transfer of migrants from the yolas to the Matinicus. Coast Guard Cutters Matinicus and Cushing are 110-foot patrol boats based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ### |
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