U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 214 Haitians rescued near Cuba
February 23, 2009 by
Filed under Politics
Today repatriated 214 Haitians who were rescued last Friday from an overloaded boat that was sailing near the island of Cuba, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
Haitians, 187 adults, 16 juveniles and 11 young children, including babies, were sent Monday to Cape Haitien, Haiti.
The migrants were spotted by coastguards in a routine operation about 37 kilometers from the Cuba, which discovered that the vessel was overloaded with people and a risk of capsizing, the Coast Guard said.
During the rescue operation, one of the immigrants fell into the sea but was rescued in good condition by the Coast Guard.
“The presence of the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Haiti to prevent a potential loss of human life, as has happened too many times when an overloaded boat sets sail with the intention to emigrate illegally to the U.S.,” said Peter Brown said in a statement , captain of the coastguard.
“The interception operations immigrants are more humanitarian missions to border protection,” he added.
Prior to her move to Haiti, all immigrants were picked up from a boat of the Guardia
