Coast Guard Repatriates 44 Migrants to the Dominican Republic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley (WPC-1117) repatriated 44 Dominican migrants and transferred them to Dominican naval authorities June 28 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, following the interdiction of two illegal migrant voyages June 25 and 26 in the Mona Passage, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a June 28 release.

Six other
migrants interdicted in both voyages are facing possible federal prosecution in
Puerto Rico on charges of attempted illegal re-entry into the United States.

The
interdictions are the result of ongoing efforts in support of Operation Unified
Resolve, Operation Caribbean Guard and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group
(CBIG). Since October 2018, the Coast Guard and CBIG federal and state partner
agencies have interdicted over 1,573 migrants at sea near Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Islands.

The first
interdiction took place the night of June 25 after the crew of a Customs and
Border Protection DHC-8 maritime patrol aircraft detected a 25-foot migrant boat
transiting toward Puerto Rico, approximately 17 nautical miles north-northwest
of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

Coast Guard
watchstanders in Sector San Juan diverted the cutter Donald Horsley to
interdict the suspect vessel. Upon arriving on scene, the Donald Horsley crew
stopped the blue makeshift boat with 25 Dominican migrants aboard — 19 men and
five women, and a 16-year-old boy. Horsley crewmembers proceeded to embark all
the migrants from the makeshift boat.

The crew of
the DHC-8 maritime patrol aircraft detected a second illegal migrant voyage on
the night of June 26, approximately nine nautical miles north of Mona Island.

Coast Guard
watchstanders in Sector San Juan diverted the cutter Donald Horsley to
interdict the suspect vessel. Upon arriving on scene, the Donald Horsley crew
stopped the 35-foot blue fiberglass boat with 25 adult Dominican migrants
aboard — 20 men and five women. Horsley crewmembers embarked all the migrants
for safety of life at sea.

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

“I am
extremely proud of the crew of cutter Donald Horsley for their tremendous
efforts which culminated in the interdiction of 50 migrants during two
different cases this week,” said Lt. Christopher Martin, Coast Guard Cutter
Donald Horsley commanding officer. “These illicit ventures put migrants in
extremely dangerous situations at sea and our crew along with our other DHS
partners did an excellent job detecting and intercepting these vessels to stem
the flow of illegal migration to Puerto Rico and ensure the safety of all the
migrants involved in these voyages.”

The cutter
Donald Horsley transferred custody of the six migrants facing federal
prosecution to Ramey Sector Border Patrol agents in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

The CBIG
unifies efforts between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast
Guard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Attorney’s
Office for the District of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of
Rapid Action. These agencies share a common goal of securing the maritime
border of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands against illegal migrant and
drug smuggling threats.

The cutter
Donald Horsley is a 154-foot fast-response cutter homeported in San Juan,
Puerto Rico.