SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (NewsNation) — The U.S. Coast Guard Thursday rescued and returned nearly 90 migrants to the Dominican Republic.
Customs and Border Protection officials aboard the cutter Joseph Doyle observed an overloaded makeshift watercraft in waters off the coast of Puerto Rico. Seventy-five men and 14 women were aboard.
“A vessel as overloaded as this one is at risk for capsizing or sinking with the frequent squalls and weather events in the Mona Passage,” said Lt. Cmdr. David Radin. “With no apparent navigation or safety equipment on this boat the risk of getting lost and stranded at sea is real, not to mention the danger posed by large vessels transiting legally in the area who can’t detect a small yola in the darkness..”
The Joseph Doyle later later made contact with a Dominican Republic Navy vessel just off Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, where the repatriation was completed.
Nearly 210 non-U.S. citizens — mostly from the Dominican Republic — have been repatriated to their native country between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31.
