| Release #: 12-11 |
| Release date: December 24, 2003 |
| Contact: ENS Eric Willis, (787)289-2041 |
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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY |
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MIGRANTS RESCUED IN THE CARIBBEAN |
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SAN JUAN, P.R.- The past six days has seen an increase in illegal migrant traffic into the Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 13 separate cases involving 14 migrant vessels, more then 300 migrants have tried to enter the United States illegally. Through the joint efforts of the U. S. Coast Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Patrol and the Puerto Rico Police's Fast Unit Response Association (FURA), 214 of the estimated 320 migrants were taken into custody. Most of these migrants transit the Mona Passage from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico’s West Coast. However, three of these recent cases involved migrants illegally entering the U.S. Virgin Islands. In one case over the weekend, a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen was called to assist as migrants began to jump overboard from their vessel and attempted to swim ashore. Seven men were clinging to rocks and were airlifted to safety, an additional person was hoisted from the water. During the search and rescue efforts, the helicopter crew located the body of one of the migrants presumed to have drowned while trying to swim ashore. These yolas (wooden vessels) are most often built for a one-way trip and are usually grossly overloaded and unsafe. "Our primary concern is the safety of the migrants. Migrants attempting to illegally enter the the U.S. by boat often travel aboard leaking, dangerously overloaded and ill-equipped vessels. Illegal migrants riding aboard these yolas are putting their lives at risk," said Capt. Douglas Rudolph, Commander of the Greater Antilles Section San Juan, P.R. "The Coast Guard carries out U.S. policy and serves as a unique instrument of Homeland Security by protecting our nation's borders from illegal migration," Rudolph. -uscg-
The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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