San Juan.- The U.S. Coast Guard in San Juan announced on Thursday that 46 migrants were repatriated to the Dominican Republic after being detained while attempting to reach the northwest coast of Puerto Rico illegally.
A press release from the Coast Guard stated that a U.S. Border Patrol aircraft from the maritime and air branch spotted a suspicious vessel 34 miles (55 kilometers) off the coast of Aguadilla on Wednesday.
In response, the Coast Guard vessels Heriberto Hernández and Richard Dixon, along with aircraft from the Borinquen Air Base at the Rafael Hernández International Airport in Aguadilla, the Rapid Action Forces of the Puerto Rico Police, and CBP units, were dispatched to intercept the vessel.
Coast Guard officers from the Richard Dixon vessel managed to board the vessel, detaining 49 migrants. The migrants were then transferred to the Coast Guard vessel Joseph Tezanos.
Three of the 49 migrants were handed over to CBP agents due to potential criminal charges, which were not specified in the statement. The remaining migrants were transferred to the Dominican Navy for repatriation.