Coast Guard Transfers Stowaways To INS

The Coast Guard completed the transfer of 17 stowaways to Immigration and Naturalization Service officials about 5:30 a.m. yesterday at the Alabama State Docks, after crewmembers aboard the motor vessel Scan Germania, a 416-ft. British-flagged cargo vessel, discovered them Saturday, on its journey from Dominican Republic to Mobile, Ala. Coast Guard Cutter Bonito relieved CGC Decisive of escort duties at the Mobile sea buoy and arrived at the State Docks at approximately 1:30 a.m on Tuesday. Eighteen boarding team members from the Bonito, Station Dauphin Island, CGC Cobia, CGC Stingray and Group Mobile maintained security aboard the Scan Germania while the Bonito escorted the vessel into port. The captain of the Scan Germania requested a Coast Guard escort after containing the stowaways he found aboard at about 5:42 a.m. Saturday. Further Coast Guard involvement was found necessary after the stowaways attempted to break free and threatened the crew of the vessel just after midnight Monday morning. The CGC Decisive is a 210-ft., medium endurance cutter from Pascagoula, Miss. The other Coast Guard cutters are 87-ft., patrol boats. The Bonito is homeported in Pensacola, Fla., the Cobia and Stingray, both in Mobile.