Coast Guard repatriates 72 Haitians rescued off South Florida’s coast and Bahamas waters
Two Coast Guard rescues by the Cutter Charles Sexton’s crew led to the repatriation of 72 Haitian migrants back to Haiti, according to the 7th District Southeast in Miami.
The first interdiction: Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders got a mayday call on April 17 and sent out several surface asset crews and an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew to the scene about 15 miles west of the Bahamas. There, the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered crew found an overloaded 42-foot pleasure craft with 43 people aboard about 15 miles west of the Bahamas.
The second interdiction: Sector Miami watchstanders received a report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection about an overloaded 25-foot pleasure craft, Saturday, April 24, about 10 miles east of Lake Worth in South Florida. The Coast Guard Cutter Manatee crew and CBP surface asset crews rescued the 29 migrants that were on this craft.
A baby was among the people aboard one of the boats.
“It is extremely dangerous to take to the sea on an overloaded, homemade or makeshift vessel,” Lt. Mark Tatara, commanding officer of the Cutter Charles Sexton, said in a statement. “Those who embark on these vessels are risking their lives and it is our duty to protect the safety of life at sea. People should not take to the sea in an attempt to migrate to the United States.”
Number of Coast Guard-Haitian interdictions
Since Oct. 1, 2020, when the Coast Guard’s fiscal year begins, crews have interdicted 262 Haitians.
In previous fiscal years, the Coast Guard interdicted:
▪ 445 Haitian migrants in 2016.
▪ 443 Haitian migrants in 2017.
▪ 792 Haitian migrants in 2018.
▪ 895 Haitian migrants in 2019.
▪ 885 Haitian migrants in 2020.
According to the Coast Guard, once aboard a cutter all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention. Coast Guard crew are equipped with personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no migrants in these cases reported to have any COVID-19 related symptoms.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 12:03 PM.
