Coast Guard Repatriates 43 Cuban Migrants

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Coast Guard Repatriates 43 Cuban Migrants (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

MIAMI — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. repatriated 43 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba Wednesday.

These repatriations are a result of three separate interdictions of people attempting to illegally migrate to the United States.

On Saturday, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton interdicted 22 Cuban migrants from two separate interdictions in the Florida Straits. The next day, the Sexton interdicted another 21 Cuban migrants. 

"Along with our Department of Homeland Security and international partners, the Coast Guard continues to robustly patrol the Florida Straits and Caribbean sea to prevent migrants from taking the perilous and illegal maritime journey to the United States," said Capt Mark Gordon, Chief of Response Enforcement for Coast Guard 7th District in Miami. "Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, we will seek to quickly repatriate illegal migrants to their respective countries."

All of the migrants were safely removed from their makeshift vessels and were transferred to the Charles David Jr. for repatriation.

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.

Coast Guard assets involved in these two cases were:

Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton, a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Key West, Florida.

Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr., a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Key West.

Since Oct. 1, the Coast Guard 7th District estimates that 269 Haitians, 193 Cubans and 50 Dominicans have attempted to illegally migrate via the sea. These numbers represent the total amount of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic.

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