The Tribune

FORTY-FOUR illegal migrants, including children, who were interdicted at sea in two separate attempted smuggling incidents were brought to Grand Bahama last week by the US Coast Guard.

The migrants, who are Romanian, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Cuban, Jamaican and Haitian, were discovered on a boat attempting to enter the United States. They were handed over to immigration authorities in Freeport.

The first group was arraigned in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court on Monday charged with illegal embarkation.

The migrants appeared before Magistrate Laquay Laing. They all pleaded guilty to the charge and were each fined $300.

The fines were paid, and the migrants were handed back over to Bahamas immigration officials for further processing and transport into New Providence, where they are detained at the Detention Centre to await deportation to their respective country of origin.

On Tuesday, the second group of migrants, including three children, was brought to Grand Bahama. The US Coast Guard turned them over to Bahamian immigration officials at the Lucayan Harbour.

The group was interdicted in a vessel reportedly operated by Bahamians in an attempt to reach the US.

This latest group of migrants consisted of mixed nationalities, including three Haitian males, two Haitian females with two minor Haitian children, a Brazilian male, a Cuban male, an Ecuadorian male, five Ecuadorian females, and one Jamaican male.

On Wednesday, with the exception of the two minor children, the 14 foreign nationals appeared before Magistrate Simone Brown where they were charged with illegal embarkation.

They all pleaded guilty and were convicted. The magistrate imposed a fine of $300 each. They all paid their fine and the migrants were turned over to immigration officials for deportation.

Additionally, the two Colombian females Viviana Patricia Trujillo Marin, 29, and Yuliet Munoz Pino, 31—who were reported as missing—were among the latest group of 16 persons handed over to immigration officials by the USCG on Tuesday.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force had issued missing persons flyers on Wednesday with photos of the two missing women.

The group was flown to New Providence yesterday morning and are being detained at the Detention Centre to await deportation to their various countries of origin.