Coast Guard Intercepts Cuban Migrants

Twenty-three Cuban migrants were located aboard a rustic vessel 55 miles southeast of Key West, Fla., late last month.

The last week of August was a busy one for the Coast Guard in south Florida as it intercepted and repatriated a total of 93 Cuban migrants in 3 areas.

In the first case, crewmembers from the Cutter Shamal used their small boat to interdict 23 migrants aboard a rustic vessel on Aug. 25. The crew provided each migrant with a life jacket and safely transferred them to the cutter.

On the same day, an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Miami located another dilapidated vessel with three people aboard 71 miles south of Key West, FL. The migrants were transferred to the cutter Decisive.

The cutter Drummond interdicted a go-fast vessel with 20 migrants and two suspected smugglers aboard. The smugglers were transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Key West.

The crew of the cutter Key Biscayne interdicted 13 migrants from a rustic vessel Saturday, 71 miles south of Key West.

In addition to conducting seven interdictions over the course of two days, Coast Guard crews from Air Station Miami, Station Key West and the cutter Decisive disrupted a suspected smuggling operation.