San Juan, Puerto Rico.– U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued today a public warning upon the landing in Mona Island Monday of 13 undocumented immigrants from Cuba.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan notified the Border Patrol Ramey Sector Communications Center the landing in Mona of 13 undocumented migrants, 12 adult men, and 1 adult female, all claiming to be Cuban nationals.
“Crossing the Mona Passage is a treacherous voyage filled with many dangers that pose a huge risk to migrants,” stated Ramiro Cerrillo, Ramey Sector Chief Patrol Agent. “We issue a concerned warning on the danger of traversing the Mona Passage with the hope of avoiding an unfortunate event during this holiday season.”
The USCG transported the group to the Mayaguez Port of Entry today where Border Patrol Agents from the Ramey Station assumed custody for screening and processing.
The illegal maritime smuggling ventures arriving to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic are ordinarily transported in rustic, homemade wooden vessels commonly referred to as "yolas." A typical yola is an unsafe vessel, generally underpowered with a single outboard motor, and overloaded with a large number of passengers (as an example, a forty foot “yola” can accommodate over one hundred persons).
The Administration’s recent announcement regarding Cuba does not signify a change in the current immigration policy toward Cuba.