By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE United States Coast Guard intercepted a Haitian sailing vessel with 179 people on board on Sunday, approximately 30 miles off Andros.
According to a news release by the US Coast Guard, the individuals were transferred to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force yesterday.
“An Air Station Clearwater C-130 airplane crew spotted the overloaded vessel at approximately 11pm, and reported the vessel to the nearby cutters and command centre watchstanders,” the release stated.
Lt Vladimir Jimenez, law enforcement duty officer of the Seventh Coast Guard District command centre, added that the Coast Guard and partner agencies continue to patrol in the air and on the water to deter these types of “unsafe voyages”.
“The probability of a successful migration voyage is low, and when these voyages are stopped, people should expect to be returned to their country of origin.”
The release noted that since October 1, 2021, Coast Guard crews have rescued 993 Haitians compared to 1,527 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2021; 418 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2020; 932 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2019; 609 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2018; and 419 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2017.
Comments
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Damn! That means about another 9 or 10 similarly loaded boats probably made it through to our shores in recent months. Most of them end up sunk on the sea floor in shallow waters just off of the shorelines of our islands.
For every boat caught there's at least another 9 or 10 that make it through to our shores somewhere undetected. Sadly, the U.S. Coast Guard tends to focus its interception efforts on those boats loaded with illegal aliens that stand a chance of making it to the U.S. shoreline.
birdiestrachan 2 years, 9 months ago
?
They had travelled a mighty long way to be 30 miles off Andros. How did they get so far without being seen ??
cx 2 years, 9 months ago
If this vessel got that far. I can imagine how far those that try look regular sail boats get.
mandela 2 years, 9 months ago
Thanks, goes out AGAIN to the USCG, without them anyone can get in and invade our country while our jokey RBDF sleeps and plays with themselves.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Are you being cynical? USCG brings all of them they intercept to our country for us to feed, clothe and shelter until we can borrow the money needed to send them back to Haiti. And that presupposes the 'non-existent' Haitian government gives us permission to send them back to Haiti. USCG never takes any of them to the U.S.
DiverBelow 2 years, 9 months ago
Bahamas waters, Bahamas sovereignty. Cooperation always has a cost. Are we paying fuel, maintenance & crew cost? NO. With out this co-op, we would be back to the days of MIAMI VICE, where smuggling was a common dangerous cottage industry. Our choice...
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