MIAMI — Coast Guard Cutter Wiliam Flores’s crew repatriated 14 aliens to Cuba, Thursday, following an interdiction of a rustic vessel approximately 13 miles west of Elbow Cay.
Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders received notification from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations air crew, Sept. 3, of a rustic vessel in Elbow Cay. Sector Key West diverted Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent and a Coast Guard Station Marathon small boat crew to respond. The crew embarked 15 Cubans and transferred them aboard the cutter for processing and disposition. The people were later transferred to the William Flores for repatriation. 1 person was medically evacuated to shore for a higher level of care.
"Cubans should not risk their lives taking to the sea to attempt to enter the United States illegally," said Lt. Cmdr. Jon Girot, U.S. Coast Guard Liaison Officer/DHS Attaché at U.S. Embassy Havana, Cuba. "Through close coordination with our federal, state, and local partners, we maintain a strong presence across the region and interdict vessels attempting to make the dangerous journey to the Unites States."
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, interdicted aliens are processed to determine their identity and are provided food, water, shelter and basic medical attention before disposition.
The Coast Guard, along with its Operation Vigilant Sentry 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 OVS combined, multilayered 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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