SAN JUAN – The US Coast Guard reported this Wednesday the repatriation of 54 Dominican migrants and the return of four Haitians to the Dominican Republic, who tried enter Puerto Rico illegally in an overloaded vessel.
Coast Guard Patrolman Joseph Doyle intercepted the vessel last night 12 near the Puerto Rican island of Desecheo, located in the Mona Passage, which separates the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
The crew of the Joseph Doyle safely embarked the passengers of the improvised boat and, yesterday, delivered the group to a ship of the Navy of the Dominican Republic near that country, according to the coast guard statement.
“Fortunately, our Coast Guard assets responded to this case in time to safely rescue everyone from this highly overloaded vessel“ Said Commander Ge rard Wenk.
The captain explained that the boat “was not seaworthy and could easily have capsized without warning in the middle of the night”.
The past May, also near the islet of Desecheo, a shipwreck of a boat loaded with Haitian migrants left eleven women dead and 38 rescued survivors.
From October 1, 2021 to 31 May 2022, the Coast Guard has intercepted 64 illegal trips in the Mona Passage and in the Caribbean waters near Puerto Rico with 1,706 migrants on board.
Of these, 1 ,235 were Dominicans, 370 Haitians, 52 Venezuelans, 12 Uzbeks, a Cuban, an Ecuadorian and 35 of unknown nationality.