|
Seventh Coast Guard District |
| Press Release |
Date: Dec. 22, 2006 Contact: Ricardo Castrodad (787) 510-7923
Sector San Juan Public Affairs Specialist |
|
Coast Guard Repatriates 12 Dominicans to La Romana |
|
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Key Largo repatriated 12 Dominican migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic, at approximately 8 a.m. today. The migrants were initially located at 5:33 p.m. Wednesday, by the crew of an Air Station Borinquen HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, approximately 9 nautical miles northwest of Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico. The migrants were traveling illegally to Puerto Rico aboard an 18-foot-blue yola with one 40-horsepower outboard engine. Coast Guard cutter Matinicus, Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action F.U.R.A. and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Marine units responded to intercept the migrant yola. F.U.R.A. marine unit, Cobra 02, arrived on scene and interdicted the yola with the assistance of the Dolphin helicopter aircrew, who vectored the marine unit to the yola's exact location. The yola was interdicted transporting 8 male and 4 female Dominican migrants, approximately three nautical miles east of Desecheo Island. The crew of the Matinicus arrived on scene and safely transferred the migrants to the cutter, while the HH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew flew rescue support overhead. The crew of the Matinicus later rendevouszed with the Key Largo and transferred all 12 migrants to the Key Largo for further transport to La Romana, Domincan Republic. The crew of the Matinicus destroyed the 18-foot yola as a hazard to navigation. Coast Guard Cutter's Key Largo and Matinicus are 110-foot patrol boats homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ### |
|
The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
printer friendly