APRIL 15, 2024 – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. repatriated 16 migrants to Cuba, Friday, following an interdiction of a migrant venture near Key West, Florida.
A good Samaritan notified Sector Key West watchstanders of a suspected migrant voyage at approximately 9:30 a.m., Sunday.
The Coast Guard and its Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast partners will continue to be a presence in the air and on the waters to detect and deter migrants from attempting to unlawfully enter the U.S. by sea.
“The Coast Guard’s primary mission is to preserve human life at sea,” said Lt. Matthew Miller, Coast Guard Seventh District. “The maritime environment is inherently dangerous. The Coast Guard and our HSTF-SE partners are committed to preventing unsafe voyages at sea and enforcing U.S. immigration laws and regulations. Do not take to the sea.”
Coast Guard crews repatriated 348 migrants to Cuba in fiscal year 2024, which began on Oct. 1, 2023.
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention.
Cutters are Coast Guard vessels that are 65 feet or longer and contain “accommodations for a crew to live aboard,” according to the Coast Guard’s website.
The press release comes a week after the Coast Guard revealed that 101 migrants had been repatriated back to the Dominican Republic after three separate interceptions near Puerto Rico.
Since the start of the 2024 fiscal year on October 1, the Coast Guard has repatriated 348 migrants back to Cuba.
For more information, follow these links to Department of Homeland Security fact sheets:
- Fact Sheet: Data From First Six Months of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans Shows That Lawful Pathways Work | Homeland Security (dhs.gov)
- USCIS Updates Review Process for the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans | USCIS
- Fact Sheet: Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Final Rule | Homeland Security (dhs.gov)
Coast Guard Seventh District