By Local 10 News, South Florida —
The U.S. Coast Guard reported finding a sailboat with 89 migrants — some of whom asked for help — on Saturday about 17 miles northeast of Punta Maisi, Cuba.
They repatriated them on Tuesday to Haiti. Petty Officer Nicole J. Groll, of the U.S. Coast Guard District Seven public affairs, released a statement.
“Families are voluntarily asking to come off these unsafe vessels because the risk for loss of life is great,” Groll said.
The maritime security branch of the U.S. Armed Forces reported the Cutter Venturous crew repatriated the group of 53 males and 36 females to Cap-Haitien, Haiti.
The report comes after the Coast Guard announced the return of 88 migrants on April 2 to Haiti. They had found the 62 males and 26 females on April 5th in a sinking ship.
The Coast Guard also reported crews have interdicted 3,127 Haitian migrants since October. It is more than all of the Haitian migrants who were interdicted during the 2017 to 2020 fiscal years.
Lt. Connor Ives, the Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer, recently released a statement saying Haitian-American families in the U.S. need to encourage their loved ones in Haiti to avoid making the dangerous voyage.
“The risk for loss of life is great on these unsafe vessels,” Ives said.
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Source: Local 10 News, South Florida
Featured image: Coast Guard Cutter Venturous’ small boat crew ferries Haitians voluntarily wanting to leave an unsafe vessel to the cutter, approximately 17 miles northeast of Punta Maisi, Cuba, April 9, 2022. The people were repatriated to Haiti on April 12, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Cutter Venturous)
