‘Illegal voyage’ stopped in South Florida waters with 23 Haitian migrants, officials say
A 25-foot boat was stopped last week in the waters off Delray Beach.
Onboard: 23 migrants from Haiti — two of whom needed to be treated at an area hospital for dehydration, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
“These illegal ventures attempting to immigrate to the United States are extremely dangerous because weather and sea conditions can dramatically change and the vessels are not equipped with the required safety equipment for passenger operations putting lives at higher risk of being lost at sea,” Lt. j.g. Karolina Del Hierro Vega, Seventh District, enforcement, said in a news release.
It was not clear what prompted them to stop the boat about eight miles east of Delray Beach. The 23 people, who were given food, water and basic medical care, were turned over to Bahamian authorities so that they can be repatriated to Haiti, which is in accordance with existing U.S. immigration policy.
Since Oct. 1, 2019, the Coast Guard and Customs and Boarder Protection have interdicted about 2,500 Haitian migrants who have attempted to illegally enter the U.S. In the previous fiscal year — which began Oct. 1, 2018 — 3,499 Haitian migrants were intercepted at sea.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 10:00 PM.
