US Coast Guard repatriates 38 Cuban migrants

Miami, USA — Crewmembers aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans repatriated 38 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, on Thursday.

This repatriation was a result of four separate migrant interdictions at sea in the south Florida Straits. In all instances Cubans were trying to illegally enter the United States on unseaworthy vessels commonly referred to as “rustics” or “chugs.”

“Coast Guard missions and operations in the Southeast remain unchanged. The Coast Guard strongly discourages attempts to illegally enter the country by taking to the sea,” said Capt. Mark Fedor, Coast Guard 7th District chief of enforcement. “These trips are extremely dangerous . Individuals located at sea may be returned to Cuba.”

The Raymond Evans along with numerous other Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft aggressively patrol the Florida Straits to detect and deter illegal and unsafe maritime migration. Safety of life at sea is always the Coast Guard’s top priority.