MIAMI — The Coast Guard Cutter Isaac Mayo crew repatriated 11 Cuban migrants Nov. 29 to Cuba, the 7th Coast Guard District said in a release.
A good Samaritan located a rustic vessel approximately 18 miles southeast of Islamorada on Nov. 26. A Coast Guard Station Islamorada 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement interdicted the migrants and transferred them to the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. when it arrived on scene.
“The Coast Guard bears the responsibility of enforcing immigration laws with our partners and securing the maritime domain, while also ensuring the safety of life at sea,” said Lt. j.g. Vladimir Domanskiy, executive officer of Isaac Mayo. “The rustic vessels we interdict are often overloaded, manifestly unsafe and the people aboard may have been at sea for days without proper food, water or medical attention. The individuals repatriated were stranded at sea for more than a week and the crews of the cutters Charles David, Jr. and Isaac Mayo ensured they were cared for and treated with the utmost respect following their rescue.”
Once aboard Coast Guard cutters, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and medical attention.
Approximately 137 Cuban migrants have attempted to illegally enter the U.S. via the maritime environment since fiscal 2019 began on Oct. 1, compared to 384 Cuban migrants in fiscal 2018. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic.
The cutters Charles David Jr. and Isaac Mayo are 154-foot Sentinel-class cutters homeported in Key West, Florida.
