SAN JUAN — The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Puerto Rican law enforcement took 29 people from the Dominican Republic into custody Tuesday who were trying to enter the United States illegally, according to a Coast Guard press release.
Two of the men are being investigated for possibly trying to re-enter the country after having been previously deported. One of those men is also being investigated as a “possible smuggler,” according to the release.
A Customs Marine and Air Operations (AMO) plane crew spotted one boat about 18 miles northeast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
The vessel was stopped by the Coast Guard cutter Joseph Tezanos, which took 10 Dominican migrants on board, the press release states.
In a separate incident, a Puerto Rican Joint Forces of Rapid Action boat crew stopped a migrant vessel carrying 19 Dominicans four miles west of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
The people on board were picked up by the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Winslow Griesser, according to the press release.