MIAMI, USA – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter William Flores transferred 37 Cubans to Bahamian authorities, Sunday, after two separate rescues off The Bahamas.
A Coast Guard Auxiliary aircrew from Air Station Miami notified Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders, Thursday, of a group of people waving their arms in distress on Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas.
A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew notified Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders, Friday, of a group of migrants stranded on Anguilla Cay, The Bahamas. The aircrew dropped food, water and a radio to establish communications.
Bahamian authorities requested US Coast Guard agency assistance in rescuing the people off both uninhabited islands. Coast Guard Cutter Northland’s crew arrived on scene and brought the migrants aboard, due to safety of life at sea concerns.
“The Coast Guard and our Task Force partners diligently patrol the Florida Straits, Windward Passage and the Mona Passage to save lives by rescuing migrants from unsafe environments, deterring dangerous attempts to enter the US illegally by sea and preventing human smuggling activity,” said Lt. Connor Pascale, Coast Guard liaison officer to The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. “These irregular, unlawful voyages in unseaworthy vessels are extremely dangerous and put migrants’ lives at risk.”
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.
The Coast Guard, along with its Homeland Security Task Force-Southeast partners, maintains a continued 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.