The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

NINE Cuban migrants discovered on a cay in the Cay Sal Bank in the southern Bahamas were charged in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court with illegal landing.

Immigration official Napthali Cooper reported that six men and three women were discovered by US Coast Guard officials on Saturday, July 3.

The USCG Robert Yared arrived with the migrants at Freeport Harbour around 8am on Tuesday. They were turned over to immigration officers and taken to the Department of Immigration for processing.

Mr Cooper said that the migrants told officials that they had left Cuba on Monday, June 28, on a 16ft rustic vessel destined for the United States. They said after two days at sea, they ended up beaching the vessel in the Cay Sal Bank area.

He said the migrants were examined by staff at the Disease and Surveillance Unit of the Public Hospitals Authority.

On Wednesday, the nine migrants were charged with illegal landing. They appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson and pleaded guilty to the charge.

They were convicted and ordered to be deported to their country of origin.

In other court matters, Cuban national Raul Sanchez Castellanos, 35, was charged with overstaying his time in The Bahamas. He pleaded guilty.

Castellanos was found in Freeport on July 3, after the expiration of seven days granted to him by the Director of Immigration on June 7.

The magistrate ordered Castellanos to be deported to his country of origin.

Haitian national Jermaine Dezilien, 45, was charged with illegal landing. On July 5, the accused was found at Grand Bahama having landed from a place outside of The Bahamas without leave of an immigration officer.

Dezilien pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted. Deputy Chief Magistrate Ferguson ordered that he be deported to his country of origin.

The 11 migrants will be flown to New Providence where they will be detained at the Detention Centre to await deportation to their respective countries.