| Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard Seventh District |
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| Press Release |
Date: July 31, 2004 Contact: LTjg Eric Willis |
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Coast Guard Turns Yola Around in Mona Passage SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The Coast Guard Cutter Confidence escorted a migrant yola back to the Dominican Republic this morning after it was located by a patrolling Coast Guard helicopter off the coast of the Dominican Republic last night. After the yola was initially spotted, the Confidence intercepted it, launching its small boat to ensure the migrants were safe. When the small boat crew came along side the yola, the migrants waved machetes in the air as a threatening gesture while also turning around and heading back toward Cabo Engana, DR. The Coast Guard notified the Dominican Navy and escorted the vessel into DR waters observing it until it neared the beach. This intercept occurred just two hours after the Coast Guard had repatriated a group of 76 migrants to the South coast of the Dominican Republic. Over the last ten months, the Coast Guard has intercepted more than 5,500 migrants in over 130 different cases, attempting to illegally enter Puerto Rico and the United States. The cutter Confidence is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter from Cape Canaveral, Fla ### The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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