MIAMI — Sixty-four Cuban migrants aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore were repatriated to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Monday.
This repatriation is a result of five separate migrant interdictions at sea in the south Florida Straits. These events were Cubans trying to illegally enter the United States on unseaworthy vessels commonly referred to as "rustics" or "chugs." In these instances, the Coast Guard not only helped secure the U.S. border, but they also prevented these perilous sea voyages from ending in tragedy.
The Kathleen Moore, along with numerous other Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft, aggressively patrol the Florida Straits to detect and deter illegal and unsafe maritime migration. Safety of life at sea is always the Coast Guard's top priority.
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.
"The Coast Guard continues to strongly discourage attempts to illegally enter the country by taking to the sea," said Capt. Mark Fedor, Coast Guard 7th District Chief of Response. "These trips are extremely dangerous and could lead to loss of life. Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, we will seek to quickly repatriate illegal migrants to their respective countries."
Coast Guard assets involved in these interdictions are:
Coast Guard Cutters Kathleen Moore and William Trump are 154-foot fast response cutters homeported in Key West, Florida
Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk, a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Key West, Florida
Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, Florida, boatcrew
Coast Guard Station Islamorada, Florida, boatcrew
Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft
Since Oct. 1, the Coast Guard 7th District estimates that 3,910 Cubans have attempted to illegally migrate via the sea. These numbers represent the total amount of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic.
