MIAMI — The Coast Guard repatriated 137 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Tuesday.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans repatriated 62 Cuban migrants and the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump repatriated 75 Cuban migrants.
These repatriations are a result of 10 separate migrant interdictions at sea within the last week in the south Florida Straits. In each instance, the Coast Guard helped secure the U.S. border and prevented these perilous sea voyages from ending in tragedy.
“We have seen an increase over the last year in the number of Cuban migrants trying to enter the United States via maritime means," said Cmdr. Timothy Cronin, deputy chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District. "The Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection continue to vigilantly patrol the Florida Straits and Caribbean to rescue migrants from potentially deadly voyages and enforce U.S. immigration policy."
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.
Since Oct. 1, the Coast Guard 7th District estimates that 3,239 Cubans have already attempted to illegally migrate via the sea. In fiscal year 2015 4,473 Cubans attempted to illegally migrate via the sea. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic.
For more information on how to legally immigrate to the U.S., call U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at 1-800-375-5283 or visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.
The Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans and the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump are 154-foot fast response cutters homeported out of Key West, Florida.
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