SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos returned 109 migrants to authorities at San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, following two separate interdictions of irregular, unlawful maritime migration voyages in Mona Passage waters near Puerto Rico.
Dominican Republic Navy authorities received custody of the migrants.
The first interdiction occurred Monday afternoon, after a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew sighted a 20-foot makeshift vessel northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos to interdict the suspect vessel. Following the interdiction, the crew of cutter Joseph Tezanos embarked 12 migrants, 11 of which claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, while one other claimed to be Haitian.
The second interdiction also occurred Monday afternoon, after a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew sighted a 30-foot makeshift vessel northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The crews of a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft and an Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew also assisted with maintaining aerial surveillance of the vessel as surface units arrived on scene. Once on scene, Customs and Border Protection, Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine units and the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos interdicted the suspect vessel. Following the interdiction, the crew of cutter Joseph Tezanos safely embarked 98 migrants, of which 28 claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, while 70 others claimed to be Haitians.
“These strong partnerships and the effective interoperability displayed between the responding Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action air and surface units ensured the safety of all migrants from both cases,” said Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. “The circumstances and conditions migrants face during these voyages are highly dangerous. Most often, they are forced to embark unseaworthy and grossly overloaded makeshift vessels with little or no lifesaving equipment. We urge anyone thinking of taking part in one of these voyages to not take to the sea at risk to your life, and instead seek safe, orderly and lawful migration pathways.”
Migrants who are interdicted at sea or apprehended ashore will not be allowed to stay in the United States or a U.S. territory. Furthermore, anyone who arrives unlawfully may be declared ineligible for legal immigration parole options and be repatriated to their country of origin or returned to the country of departure.
The Coast Guard, along with its Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast partners, maintains a continual presence with air, land, and sea assets in the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage, and the Caribbean Sea in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry. The HSTF-SE combined, multi-layered approach is designed to protect the safety of life at sea while preventing unlawful maritime entry to the United States and its territories.
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