Coast Guard repatriates 10 migrants to Cuba

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Southeast Contact: 7th District Public Affairs Office: 305-415-6683 After Hours: 786-367-7649 7th District online newsroom

Coast Guard repatriates 10 migrants to Cuba

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MIAMI — Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans repatriated 10
Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Mar. 4, 2018.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Miami received a notification from a Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission marine officer of a manmade raft with 10 people aboard approximately 3 miles south of Key Biscayne, Florida. The watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Miami 45-foot Response Boat—Medium crew and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Cochito crew to interdict the migrants.

“Illegal migrant ventures at sea are both risky and dangerous,” said Cmdr. Willie
Carmichael, deputy chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District. “The Coast
Guard and its partner agencies will continue to maintain a presence to stop and
prevent illegal migration, and do everything we can to rescue those who put themselves
at risk aboard unseaworthy rafts before they end tragically.”
 
Once aboard Coast Guard cutters, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and medical
attention.
 
Approximately 58 Cuban migrants have attempted to illegally migrate to the U.S. via the
maritime environment since the beginning of the 2018 fiscal year, which started Oct. 1,
compared to 1,934 Cuban migrants in fiscal year 2017. These numbers represent the total
number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the
Caribbean and Atlantic.
 
The Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans is a 154-foot Sentinel-class cutter homeported in Key West. Missions include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine environmental protection, homeland security, and national defense operations.

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