Coast Guard, partner agencies stop suspected smuggling voyage, transfers migrants to Bahamas

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, partner agencies stop suspected smuggling voyage, transfers migrants to Bahamas

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MIAMI — Coast Guard Cutter William Flores' crew transferred seven migrants to Bahamian authorities, Monday, after being stopped off Florida's coast.

Station Lake Worth Inlet, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, and Palm Beach Sheriff's office law enforcement crews stopped a suspected smuggling voyage, May 9, off West Palm Beach.  

Homeland Security Investigation agents took the suspected smugglers into custody for further investigation. 

The nationalities on board were Haitian, Indian, Bahamian, Tajikistani, Turkish, Jamaican, Dominican, and Guyanese. 

“Homeland Security Investigations will continue to target the criminal organizations that seek to exploit and victimize the  migrant community," said Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Miami. “One of our missions is to identify disrupt and dismantle these criminal human smuggling organizations that continuously put lives in danger and bring them to justice.”

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention. 

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