51 Dominican and Haitian Migrants Intercepted off Puerto Rico Repatriated
Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
- The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 51 Dominican and Haitian migrants after intercepting an overcrowded vessel off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
- The group included 34 Dominicans and 17 Haitians; adults were handed to Dominican naval authorities, while two minors went into child-protection care.
- Coast Guard Commander Matthew Pinhey warned that crossings in the Mona Passage often involve unsafe, overloaded boats without lifesaving equipment.
The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 51 Dominican and Haitian migrants to the Dominican Republic after intercepting their vessel off Aguadilla in northwestern Puerto Rico.
The Coast Guard dispatched a cutter and a helicopter after an aircraft crew from Customs and Border Protection spotted the boat. Officials described it as makeshift and overloaded.
The group consisted of 34 Dominican citizens, including 30 men, two women and two minors, and 17 Haitian citizens, including 15 men and two women. Authorities handed the adults to the Dominican Republic's navy. The two minors were placed under the care of the country's National Council for Children and Adolescents.
โThese sea voyages are dangerous and often expose families to boats that are unfit for navigation, heavily overloaded and without any lifesaving equipment,โ Coast Guard Commander Matthew Pinhey said. He highlighted cooperation among U.S. federal and Puerto Rican agencies and the Dominican navy in stopping irregular migration through the Mona Passage.
The passage separates the Dominican Republic from Puerto Rico and is a frequent migration route for Dominicans and Haitians leaving the island of Hispaniola.
These sea voyages are dangerous and often expose families to boats that are unfit for navigation, heavily overloaded and without any lifesaving equipment.
Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.