US Coast Guard repatriates 38 immigrants to Dominican Republic

The United States Coast Guard has announced the repatriation of 38 immigrants to the Dominican Republic following the interception of two vessels west of Puerto Rico earlier this week.

Edward Kunigonis, Chief of the San Juan sector of the Coast Guard, emphasized the significance of collaborative efforts between the Coast Guard, US federal partners, and the Dominican Republic Navy in halting and deterring illegal maritime migration voyages in Mona Island. “They are the result of the unwavering commitment, collaboration, and partnerships that the Coast Guard relies on daily,” Kunigonis stated in a released statement.

In one operation conducted on Tuesday, an aircrew from the US Coast Guard’s HC-144 Ocean Sentry spotted an overloaded 20-foot makeshift vessel approximately 83.3 kilometers northeast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, carrying 13 undocumented migrants.

Similarly, during a patrol on Monday, the crew of a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft sighted another overloaded vessel, approximately 57.4 kilometers from Rincón in western Puerto Rico.

The Coast Guard of the San Juan sector directed the coast guard Winslow Griesser to intercept the suspicious vessel, leading to the embarkation of 31 immigrants. Among them, 27 declared Dominican nationality, while four declared Haitian nationality.