The US Coast Guard this Saturday repatriated to the island 43 Cuban migrants who were detained while attempting to enter US territory by sea, for a total of 315 in May, the federal agency reports.
Since October 1, 2021, Coast Guard crews have detained 1,952 undocumented Cuban migrants attempting to reach the United States by sea.
The migrants were brought aboard the Coast Guard vessel Bernard Webber after four interdictions off the Florida Keys, the Coast Guard, which detailed the operations, reported.
A Coast Guard crew from Air Station Clearwater alerted Key West Sector agents at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday in front of a rustic ship about 40 miles south of Long Key.
Another group of Cuban raftsmen were intercepted by the Coast Guard on May 17 about 40 miles south of Long Key, Florida. (Photo: USCG/Erik Villa-Rodriguez)
A Customs and Border Protection air and naval operations team spotted a rustic boat about 50 miles south of Islamorada at 10:50 a.m. Wednesday in the first of three sightings that day.
The same team reported another vessel about 45 miles south of Big Pine Key at about 12:15 p.m. Hours later, at around 3:30 p.m., about 65 miles south of Marathon, a third boat carrying Cubans was intercepted by the US Coast Guard.
“The Coast Guard and our partners have increased air and surface patrols in the Florida Straits, Windward Passage and Mona Passage,” said Petty Officer Nicole J. Groll, Coast Guard 7th District.
“These waterways are dangerous, unpredictable and the risk of loss of life is high,” he added.