USA / CUBA – Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser’s crew repatriated 27 Cuban aliens to Cuba, Monday, following an interdiction in the Yucatán Channel.
Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans’ crew notified Sector Key West watchstanders on Thursday, of an unlit vessel in the Yucatán Channel. Raymond Evans launched a small boat crew to investigate the vessel. Upon arrival, the crew discovered the vessel was taking on water, had no fuel or water aboard, and was in danger of sinking. The crew embarked 27 Cuban aliens and transferred them aboard the cutter for processing and disposition. The aliens were later transferred to Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser for repatriation.
“Attempting to migrate illegally by sea aboard overloaded and unseaworthy vessels is extremely dangerous and places lives at unnecessary risk,” said Lt. Cmdr. Luis Garcia, US Coast Guard liaison officer to Cuba. “The Coast Guard and our federal, state and local partners maintain a constant presence throughout the maritime approaches to the United States to detect, deter and prevent unlawful maritime migration.”
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, aliens are processed to determine their identity and are provided food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.
The Coast Guard, along with its Homeland Security Task Force–Southeast partners, maintains a continual presence with air, land and sea assets in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry. The HSTF-SE combined, multilayered approach is designed to protect the safety of life at sea while preventing unlawful maritime entry to the United States and its territories.
Eighty percent of interdictions of US-bound drugs occur at sea. This underscores the importance of maritime interdiction in combatting the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting American communities from this deadly threat. Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. Interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by members of the US Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Coast Guard Southeast District, headquartered in Miami.