US Coast Guard detains migrants attempting illegal entry to Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico.- This Tuesday, the US Coast Guard in San Juan disclosed the detainment of 96 Dominican migrants and 7 Haitians who attempted to illegally enter Puerto Rico in three separate incidents over the past weekend.

The first encounter unfolded on Saturday night when Coast Guard personnel, aboard a small aircraft, spotted a suspicious yawl approaching the Mona Channel, west of Puerto Rico. Subsequently, Coast Guard units in San Juan dispatched a vessel to intercept the yawl, resulting in the apprehension of 51 Dominicans and 6 Haitians.

The second operation took place on Sunday morning, prompted by a ship captain’s alert regarding a potential migrant disembarkation south of Puerto Rico. The migrants were aboard a boat towed by a barge. Two individuals attempted to evade authorities by jumping into the sea but were swiftly apprehended by the United Rapid Action Forces of the Puerto Rico Police. Subsequently, Coast Guard units arrived at the scene and detained 11 migrants, comprising ten Dominicans and one Haitian.

The third attempt occurred on Sunday night when a Coast Guard plane spotted another yawl northwest of the municipality of Aguadilla. Responding to the sighting, Coast Guard officers intercepted the vessel, detaining 34 Dominican migrants onboard.

All undocumented immigrants were transferred to Dominican authorities. From October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, the Coast Guard conducted a total of 28 migrant operations in waters near Puerto Rico, resulting in the detention of 932 individuals. Among them, 890 were Dominican, 41 Haitian, and one Venezuelan.