The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FIVE Cubans were arrested in Bahamian territory by Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines on routine patrol early yesterday morning.

According to reports, the men were spotted on Cay Lobos, just north of Cuba, around 1am and intercepted by RBDF patrol craft HMBS Nassau under the command of Lieutenant Commander Raymond King.

The group was taken into custody and brought to New Providence. The Cubans were turned over to the Department of Immigration for processing.

Authorities said they were assisted by the US Coast Guard in locating the vessel that the migrants had been on board.

This latest capture comes after 13 Cubans were arrested and taken to Her Majesty’s Prison after they had tried to set fire to a dormitory at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre last Thursday night.

The attempts by the Cubans, who were a part of a group of 24 being held at the Detention Centre, were blocked by officials at the compound before any serious damage could be done.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell explained to The Tribune that the group created a disturbance. He said police were called in to assist RBDF marines who were stationed at the Detention Centre.

Mr Mitchell said while he was not sure of what brought on the incident, disruptions by Cubans are a pattern often seen when large groups of them are held at the Detention Centre.

At the time, Mr Mitchell said an investigation into what took place and why it had been allowed for a large group of Cubans to be held at the facility was underway.

He said: “This is a pattern and it should not be happening because we had put in place protocols to avoid that. So an internal investigation is underway to find out what and why the incident happened.”

On Monday, RBDF officers arrested nearly 100 Haitian migrants who were found in the Exuma chain.