Between shouts and hugs, a group of 18 rafters celebrated their landing this Wednesday in Islamorada, a tourist village located in Florida. “Welcome, they have arrived,” said Alain Ronald, who recorded the moment and shared it on his TikTok platform. According to one of the rafters, the journey lasted “seven days” and they are all from Camagüey.
Roland commented that all these people were fine and turned themselves in to the authorities to continue their immigration process. This is one of dozens of landings that have occurred in the last two weeks.
Between December 30 and January 2, 749 rafters managed to land in Florida and 606 were intercepted by the United States Coast Guard, according to figures from the Joint National Security Force to the southwest.
Although the authorities do not specify the nationality of the rafters, they would be coming from the Island. The chief officer of the Border Patrol, Walter Slosar, documented the arrival of 248 Cubans on his social networks in those days. To them are added the 364 nationals who made landfall in the Dry Tortugas National Park and this Thursday they were taken on the ship Maple to Key West.
This Thursday, the journalist from The New Herald, David Goodhue, shared images of the Cubans from the Dry Tortugas National Park and who were processed at the Border Patrol station, located in the city of Marathon. He stressed that there were 427 at this site, but “at the beginning of the week, 90 were sent on the ship Richard Ethridge to Key West.”
Dry Tortugas National Park has become the landing place for Cubans. Sheila, one of the migrants from the island who arrived along with her husband and 16 other rafters, achieved the American dreambut because she is pregnant and had contractions, Border Patrol officers transferred her to a hospital, Univisión published.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay told Fox News that being a rural region, they are dealing with what he considers a massive migration. “I have to draw resources all day to respond to arrivals,” he lamented.
As the arrival of rafters continues, the authorities continue with the repatriations and insist that the border is not open and that those who are intercepted will be returned to their countries.
This Wednesday the Coast Guard repatriated to the Island 75 people aboard the ship paul valent. Since last October 1, the authorities have prevented the disembarkation of 4,153 rafters in Florida.
Coast Guard Lieutenant Nicholas Fujimoto mentioned that despite air and sea surveillance, “they continue to intercept overloaded and unsafe rafts,” for which he urged Cuban rafters to “stop illegal migration at sea.”
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Brendan McPherson warned that “the southeast maritime border is not open” and reiterated that all those who are intercepted at sea will be returned to their country of origin.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
