SAN JUAN — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos repatriated 101 migrants to Dominican Republic, Monday, following three interdictions of unlawful, irregular migration attempts during the weekend near Puerto Rico.
The migrants were transferred to Dominican Republic authorities during two separate rendezvous with the Dominican Republic Navy vessel Capella just off Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
The most recent of the three interdictions occurred Sunday night when a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew sighted a grossly overloaded makeshift vessel in the Mona Passage northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan diverted the cutter Joseph Tezanos to intercept the suspect vessel. Following the interdiction, the crew of cutter Joseph Tezanos embarked 34 migrants, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals.
The second interdiction occurred Sunday morning when Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a communication from the captain of the tugboat Miss Lizzy, who reported sighting a group of migrant stowaways aboard the towed barge Amelia. The migrants were reportedly preparing to jump overboard as the tugboat and barge were transiting three nautical miles south of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Two of the migrants who jumped into the water were rescued by a responding Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit and the crew of the tugboat Miss Lizzy. Shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos arrived on scene and embarked 11 migrants, including 10 Dominican Republic nationals and one Haitian.
The first interdiction occurred Saturday evening when the aircrew of a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft sighted a grossly overloaded makeshift vessel in Mona Passage waters northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Jospeh Tezanos to intercept the suspect vessel. Following the interdiction, the crew of cutter Joseph Tezanos embarked 57 migrants, including 51 Dominican Republic nationals and six Haitian nationals.
“The Coast Guard works daily with our local, federal and Dominican Republic Navy partners in our shared and unwavering resolve to stop unlawful maritime migration voyages in the Mona Passage,” said Cmdr. Gerard Wenk, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. “These voyages are extremely dangerous since they most often take place aboard grossly overloaded vessels that are unseaworthy and continuously take on water. These conditions, along with unpredictable weather patterns in the Mona Passage, could cause a vessel to capsize without notice resulting in loss of life. Don’t take to the sea.”
Migrants who are interdicted at sea or apprehended ashore will not be allowed to stay in the United States or a U.S. territory. Furthermore, anyone who arrives unlawfully may be declared ineligible for legal immigration parole options and be repatriated to their country of origin or returned to the country from where the voyage departed from.
The Coast Guard, along with its Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast partners, maintains a continual presence with air, land, and sea assets in the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage, and the Caribbean Sea. The HSTF-SE combined, multi-layered approach is designed to protect the safety of life at sea while preventing unlawful maritime entry to the United States and its territories.
Since October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, the Coast Guard has carried out 28 unlawful irregular migration voyage interdictions in the Mona Passage and waters near Puerto Rico. Interdicted during this period, are 932 non-U.S. citizens including 890 Dominicans, and 41 Haitians and one Venezuelan.