The United States Coast Guard repatriated 824 Cubans and 83 Haitians who tried to enter the country by sea through the Florida coast between January 6 and 13, the institution reported.
The coast guard said in a statement that in those seven days intercepted 13 attempts at sea “who prevented 239 immigrants from disembarking on the US coasts”, in addition to having rescued 17 Cubans who were stranded on Elbow Cay in the Bahamas and make them available to the authorities of that country.
“Migrants intercepted at sea were transferred to Coast Guard patrol boats, where they they were given humanitarian assistance, including food, water, shelter and any basic medical care they needed,” the institution specified.
Florida records since last December a marked increase in the arrival of immigrantscoming mostly from Cuba and Haiti, as well as interceptions of vessels off their coasts.
On Friday, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) noted that since August of last year more than 5,200 migrants arrived in 306 landings, with a total of 8,400 undocumented immigrants who were intercepted at sea and repatriated.
That same Friday, the US Border Patrol reported three landings in the Florida Keys that occurred in the last 24 hours, with 50 Cubans on board who remained in the custody of federal immigration authorities for eventual repatriation.
Photo: Reuters
The increase in arrivals by sea of Cubans and Haitians, and the interception of fragile vessels led the governor of this state, Republican Ron DeSantis, to declare a state of emergency and send troops from the Florida National Guard to help with the tasks of Immigration.
From the October 1, 2022, date on which the current fiscal year began, the Coast Guard has intercepted 4,917 Cubans. In the entire previous fiscal period, the coast guard detained 6,182 migrants of that nationality.
Reference-aristeguinoticias.com
