MIAMI / HAITI – Coast Guard Cutter Bear’s crew repatriated 124 people to Haiti, Wednesday, following two separate interdictions of irregular, unlawful migration voyages off the coast of Haiti. Anyone attempting unlawful maritime migration will be rescued and repatriated to their country of origin or departure.
“Our number one priority is to prevent the unnecessary loss of life at sea,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brent Pearson, Coast Guard liaison officer to US Embassy Haiti. “Attempting unlawful migration in overloaded, unsafe vessels with no safety equipment is extremely dangerous and puts you and your loved one’s lives at risk. Use safe, orderly and lawful pathways instead.”
A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew notified Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders of a grossly overloaded makeshift vessel at approximately 6:15 p.m., Friday. District Seven watchstanders diverted the crew of Coast Guard Cutter William Trump to interdict the vessel. The interdiction followed a previous attempt by the same migrant vessel that was detected by a US Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations aircrew, who alerted surface crews to disrupt the voyage and directed the vessel to turn back.
A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew notified Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders of a grossly overloaded makeshift vessel at approximately 2:30 a.m., Sunday. District Seven watchstanders diverted the crews of Coast Guard Cutter Bear and Cutter Kathleen Moore to interdict the vessel.
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, migrants are processed to determine their identity and are provided food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention before repatriation to their country of origin or return to the country from which they departed.
Since October 1, 2023, the Coast Guard has repatriated a total of 631 migrants to Haiti.
The Coast Guard, along with its Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast partners, maintains a continual presence with air, land, and sea assets in the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage, and the Caribbean Sea in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry. The HSTF-SE combined, multi-layered approach is designed to protect the safety of life at sea while preventing unlawful maritime entry to the United States and its territories.
