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Florida Straits News

11 Jan 2019

Coast Guard, Partners Stop Multiple Smuggling Events off Puerto Rico

Courtesy Photo: U.S. Coast Guard District 7

The Coast Guard interdicted a vessel, Monday, with 35 Dominican migrants and 4 kilograms of heroin approximately 34 miles west of Desecheo, Puerto Rico.The crew of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry, deployed to Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico, detected the vessel Monday evening. Watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector San Juan diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Heriberto Hernandez (WPC-1114), who arrived on scene, embarked the 35 migrants and discovered a backpack…

09 Jan 2019

Coast Guard, HSI, CBP Interdict Suspected Smuggler, Migrants, and Drugs

Courtesy Photo
U.S. Coast Guard District 7

The Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection interdicted a sport fisher boat with a suspected smuggler, two migrants, a U.S.-Bahamas dual citizen and 7 kilograms of cocaine Monday approximately eight miles east of Dania Beach.At approximately, 5:25 a.m. Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders received a report from the Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C. Webber (WPC-1101) crew stating that they spotted an unlit 46-foot sport fisher boat approximately eight miles east of Dania Beach.

07 Jan 2019

U.S. Coast Guard Assists Haitian Coast Guard Stop Illegal Migrant Voyage

Coast Guard Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Murray

The U.S. Coast Guard assisted the Haitian Coast Guard stop approximately 70 Haitian migrants Sunday approximately 26 miles north of Cap Haïtien, Haiti.At approximately 1:30 a.m., the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant (WMEC-617) crew sighted a roughly 40-foot Haitian freighter. The cutter Vigilant crew launched a smallboat crew to question the people aboard. Upon detection, the freighter changed course back south to Haiti. The cutter Vigilant crew continued to shadow the vessel while Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders contacted the Haitian Coast Guard.

16 Mar 2018

Coast Guard Repatriates 202 Haitian Migrants

Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Murray (Photo: USCG)

The Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma crew repatriated 202 Haitian migrants Wednesday to Cap Haitian, Haiti. The repatriation is a combination of two separate interdiction cases, which Coast Guard aircrews and cutter crews located and rescued these migrants. A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew located an overloaded 50-foot freighter Sunday approximately 30 miles east of Great Inagua Island, Bahamas. The cutter Tahoma crew was diverted to the scene, and safely interdicted and embarked 86 migrants.

07 Jan 2017

USCG Repatriates 150 Cuban Migrants

The Coast Guard repatriated 150 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, since Dec. 30. The Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton crew repatriated 74 Cuban migrants Tuesday, and the Coast Guard Cutter Isaac Mayo repatriated 76 Cuban migrants Friday. These repatriations are a result of 12 separate at-sea migrant interdictions in the South Florida Straits. In each instance, the Coast Guard helped secure the U.S. border and prevented these sea voyages from ending in tragedy. “We discourage anyone from taking to the sea and attempting to reach U.S. soil illegally – they are risking their lives with very little chance of success,” said Capt. Mark Gordon, chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District.

10 Dec 2016

USCG Repatriates 63 Cuban Migrants

The Coast Guard repatriated 63 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, since Dec. The Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark crew repatriated six Cuban migrants Monday and another 57 Cuban migrants Friday. These repatriations are a result of five separate at-sea migrant interdictions in the South Florida Straits. In each instance, the Coast Guard helped secure the U.S. border and prevented these sea voyages from ending in tragedy. “We discourage anyone from taking to the sea and attempting to reach U.S. soil illegally – they are risking their lives with very little chance of success,” said Capt. Mark Gordon, chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District. Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention. Since Oct.

04 Dec 2016

Coast Guard Repatriate 38 Cuban Migrants

The Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. repatriated 38 Cuban migrants Thursday to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba. These repatriations are a result of three separate at-sea migrant interdictions in the South Florida Straits. In each instance, the Coast Guard helped secure the U.S. border and prevented these sea voyages from ending in tragedy. “We discourage anyone from taking to the sea and attempting to reach U.S. soil illegally – they are risking their lives with very little chance of success,” said Capt. Mark Gordon, chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District. “Navigating the Florida Straits can be extremely dangerous for the unprepared on illegal voyages and often leads to injury or death. Coast Guard missions and operations in the Southeast remain unchanged.

10 Jan 2016

CBP Air, Marine Operations Aircrews Detect 56 Migrants near Florida

So far in 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Air and Marine Operations (AMO) aircrews have detected six rustics (homemade boats) on the Florida Straits transporting 56 undocumented migrants from Cuba. On New Year’s Day, an Air and Marine Operations aircrew aboard a DHC-8 aircraft spotted the first two in a series of homemade boats. The aircrew alerted interagency partners to the vessels transporting four and two undocumented migrants, respectively, off the Florida coastline. On January 2, the DHC-8 crew detected and reported three additional rustic vessels, which prompted the subsequent interdiction by the U.S. Coast Guard. The three groups had 19, 12, and 8 migrants aboard each vessel, respectively, sailing in tandem a few nautical miles south of the Florida Keys.

27 Dec 2015

USCG Repatriates 27 Migrants

Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Isaac Mayo repatriated 27 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Saturday. This repatriation is a result of two separate migrant interdictions at sea, which both took place Friday, December 18, in the south Florida Straits. While on routine patrol, the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute located a rustic vessel with a motor, 45 miles nautical miles southwest of Key West, Fla., with 12 Cuban migrants aboard. The crew of the Resolute safely transferred the 12 migrants aboard the cutter. An HC-144A Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol Aircraft, from Coast Guard Air Station Miami, located a migrant chug carrying 15 Cuban migrants 55 nautical miles southwest of Key West.

19 Dec 2015

Cuban Migrant Crisis: USCG Still Focused on Saving Lives

The crew could not have been separated from the dock for more than an hour. The thick salt air had barely filled their lungs. Cell phone towers in Key West, Florida, were still visible with a squint of an eye. A voice rang out on the back deck, “Two seven zero. Three hundred yards! A crewmember from Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team South, Miami, had spotted what appeared to be Cuban nationals on a make-shift raft, headed for the U.S. The highly trained law enforcement official was one of two TACLET South team members sent to supplement the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore, homeported in Key West. A voice rang through the 154-foot cutter, “Now set AMIO phase one!” Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations had begun.

11 Oct 2015

USCG Repatriates 12 Migrants

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence repatriated 12 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Saturday. While on routine patrol a Coast Guard aircraft spotted a vessel with migrants aboard south of Marquesas Keys, Florida, Wednesday. The aircraft notified Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders who quickly diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous to the scene. Upon arriving on scene, the Venturous crew embarked 14 Cuban migrants including 10 men and four women. Twelve Cuban migrants were later transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence for repatriation. Two migrants were medevaced with medical concerns to Key West, Florida.

19 Aug 2015

US Coast Guard Repatriates 65 Cuban Migrants

Sixty-five Cuban migrants aboard the Coast Guard Cutters William Trump and Raymond Evans were repatriated to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba over the last five days. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump repatriated seven Cuban migrants Tuesday. This repatriation is a result of two separate migrant interdictions at sea in the south Florida Straits. Fifty-eight Cuban migrants were repatriated on Saturday by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans. This repatriation was the result of four separate migrant interdictions at sea in the South Florida Straits in a span of a week. The William Trump, along with numerous other Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft, aggressively patrol the Florida Straits to detect and deter illegal and unsafe maritime migration.

30 Jul 2015

Legislation Introduced to Lift Cuba Embargo

A new piece of legislation, the Cuba Trade Act of 2015, was introduced in Congress Tuesday that aims to lift the Cuba embargo and allow for U.S. businesses in the private sector to trade freely with Cuba, while prohibiting taxpayer funds to be used on promotion or development of this new market. The legislation was introduced by Congressman Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), along with Congressmen Abraham, Amash, Boustany, Ribble and Sanford. “Today marks a new and exciting chapter for the U.S. - Cuba relationship,” Emmer said. “The American people overwhelmingly support lifting the Cuba embargo. Along with the Cuban people…

10 Jul 2015

USCG Repatriates 15 Migrants

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans repatriated 15 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Thursday. This repatriation is a result of two separate migrant interdictions at sea. "Coast Guard missions and operations in the Southeast remain unchanged. The Coast Guard strongly discourages attempts to illegally enter the country by taking to the sea," said Capt. Mark Gordon, Coast Guard 7th District chief of response enforcement. The Raymond Evans along with numerous other Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft aggressively patrol the Florida Straits to detect and deter illegal and unsafe maritime migration. Safety of life at sea is always the Coast Guard's top priority. The Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans, a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Key West, Florida.

17 Jun 2015

Haitian Migrants Rescued at Sea, Repatriated

A crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant lowers a child to a boatcrew during a repatriation off the coast of Haiti, June 16, 2015. Fifty-four Haitian migrants were interdicted south of St. John, Virgin Islands, aboard an overloaded sailing vessel on June 10.  (USCG photo)

The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Valiant repatriated 54 Haitian migrants to Cap Haitien, Haiti, Tuesday. While on patrol, a Caribbean Air & Marine Branch aircraft reported a suspicious sailing vessel south of St. John, Virgin Islands, Wednesday. A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station San Juan, Puerto Rico, arrived on scene and provided life jackets to the suspected migrants aboard the grossly overloaded vessel. The Coast Guard Cutter Forward arrived on scene and safely embarked 54 Haitian migrants before transferring them to the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant for repatriation.

06 Jan 2015

121 Cuban Migrants Repatriated in Past Week

A boatcrew with the Coast Guard Cutter Knight Island approaches a rustic vessel southwest of Key West, Florida, Dec. 30., 2014. The rustic vessel had 12 Cuban migrants aboard who were later repatriated to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Jan. 5, 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

U.S. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) repatriated 121 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Monday interdicted in seven separate events in the past week. All seven interdictions included unseaworthy, homemade vessels that posed significant risk to the migrants attempting to make the perilous journey. The USCG has increased patrols in the Florida Straits in response to the surge of illegal migration attempts into the United States over the last three weeks while continuing to aggressively patrol the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

31 Oct 2014

USCG Cutter Diligence Returns

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Diligence returned to Wilmington following a 45-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea. While on patrol, Diligence served as the operational commander for all Coast Guard assets supporting Operation Southeast Watch in the Windward Pass between Cuba and Haiti. As the operational commander, Diligence maintained an overt presence in the Windward Pass to prevent and respond to any overloaded or unseaworthy vessels with persons attempting to reach the United States shoreline. The crew aboard Diligence also conducted counter-narcotics operations in support of Operation Unified Resolve in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Crew members conducted two inspections of vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics and patrolled the region to counter the flow of illicit traffic.

29 Oct 2014

USCG Rescues 33 Cuban Migrants off Florida

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 33 Cuban migrants from an overloaded boat taking on water off the southeast Florida coast on Wednesday, two days after 11 Cubans were pulled from the waters off the coast of Miami, officials said. Some of the 33 Cubans jumped in the water when they were spotted on Wednesday morning about 7 miles (11 km) east of Boca Raton, Florida, the Coast Guard said in a press release. "Upon our assets arriving on scene, the suspected migrants were taken aboard Coast Guard smallboat and safely transferred to a Coast Guard Cutter for basic medical attention if needed," the Coast Guard said. Two men are still missing from the group found clinging to debris from their wrecked raft on Monday.

28 Oct 2014

Coast Guard Searches off Miami for Missing Cuban Migrants

The U.S. Coast Guard searched on Tuesday for two missing Cuban rafters after the 11 others on their homemade vessel were plucked safely on Monday from the waters off Miami. The most recent man saved was discovered at dusk on Monday about 10 miles (16 km) offshore and transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Sabrina Laberdesque. The rescued members of the all-male group say they spent more than a week on the water trying to cross the 90-mile-wide (145-km-wide) Florida Straits that separate Cuba from the United States. It remains unclear how many of them will be allowed to remain in the United States and how many will be repatriated to Cuba. Under Washington's "wet-foot, dry-foot policy," Cuban migrants who make it onto U.S.

12 Sep 2014

USCG Repatriates Cuban Boat Migrants

The Cutter Dauntless smallboat crew inspects a rustic vessel used by 20 Cuban migrants south of Dry Tortugas, Florida, Sep. 6, 2014. The migrants were later repatriated by the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Knight Island. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Knight Island repatriated 45 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Wednesday. These repatriations are a result of two separate interdictions of people attempting to illegally migrate to the United States through the Florida Straits. On Saturday, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless interdicted 25 migrants aboard an aluminum rustic vessel southwest of Key West, Florida. Later in the day, the Dauntless interdicted another 20 migrants south of Dry Tortugas, Florida.

30 Aug 2014

USCG Repatriates 86 Migrants

Coast Guard crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. and the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant repatriated 86 migrants illegally migrating from Cuba and Haiti. These repatriations are a result of five separate interdictions of people attempting to illegally migrate to the United States through the Florida Straits stemming back to Sunday. On Aug. 21, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Flores interdicted 24 Haitian migrants (12 males, nine females, three infants) north of Grand Bahamas Island, Bahamas. Sixteen of the migrants were reported to have jumped into the water but were subsequently rescued by the motor vessel Cap Guillame and the Coast Guard Cutter William Flores. All 24 migrants were safely transferred to the William Flores and were given a medical evaluation.

22 Aug 2014

Massive Haitian Refugee Rescues off Bahamas

Coast Guard crews and Royal Bahamian Defence Force (RBDF) rescued more than 400 Haitians illegally migrating in three separate at sea interdictions in the span of 11 days, informs the US Coast Guard. Monday, an aircrew aboard a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater located a 40-foot sail freighter riding low west of Ragged Island, Bahamas. Her Majesty’s Bahamian Ship Arthur Dion Hanna arrived on scene the following day and safely disembarked 124 Haitian migrants and transported them to Coral Harbour Base for further processing. The vessel was grossly overloaded with 100 males, 16 females and eight children.

22 Aug 2014

400 Migrants Rescued by USCG & RBDF

Coast Guard crews and Royal Bahamian Defence Force (RBDF) rescued more than 400 Haitians illegally migrating in three separate at sea interdictions in the span of 11 days. Monday, an aircrew aboard a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater located a 40-foot sail freighter riding low west of Ragged Island, Bahamas. Her Majesty's Bahamian Ship Arthur Dion Hanna arrived on scene the following day and safely disembarked 124 Haitian migrants and transported them to Coral Harbour Base for further processing. The vessel was grossly overloaded with 100 males, 16 females and eight children. Thursday, the RBDF interdicted approximately 180 Haitian migrants aboard another dangerously overloaded sail freighter illegally migrating northwest of Great Exuma Island, Bahamas.