The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Sunday the interdiction of two boats carrying migrants in the Caribbean. In an official statement, U.S. authorities revealed that a total of 14 individuals from various nationalities were discovered. These rafters were handed over to Bahamian officials following interceptions conducted by the Coast Guard and the Homeland Security Task Force Southeast (@HSTF_Southeast).
While the statement did not specify the migrants' nationalities, the involvement of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba (@USEmbCuba) and an image of a vessel resembling those typically used by Cuban rafters suggest that some of the detained individuals might be from Cuba. The Coast Guard emphasized the dangers of illegal sea journeys, urging people to avoid these perilous attempts.
#DontTakeToTheSea was the hashtag used to stress the life-threatening risks and legal dangers associated with unauthorized sea entries into the United States. The operations were executed by the crew of the Cutter Richard Etheridge, who subsequently transferred the migrants to Bahamian authorities in line with bilateral repatriation and migration management agreements.
Rising Irregular Migration in the Caribbean
The region continues to face an upsurge in irregular migration flows, particularly from Cuba, where economic and social crises have intensified maritime departures. U.S. authorities have consistently reiterated that maritime routes are unsafe for migrants, urging those seeking to emigrate to utilize legal channels.
At this time, no further details have been provided regarding the intercepted migrants or the conditions of the vessels they attempted to use for their journey.