The illegal trips or in yola they have registered a significant reduction —”practically in its entirety”— in the coastal strip from La Altagracia, according to a source linked to maritime surveillance.
According to the report, in this area “no recent incidents have been reported” and the few cases that have arisen correspond to attempts to smuggle drugs.
The consulted authorities explained that the coastal strip has remained “very quiet” from early august to date.
Although the source noted that “cannot be assured“what is decrease is related to the presence of US vessels in the Caribbean Sea, as part of the naval operation against the drug trafficking carried out by the United States near the Venezuelan coast, he did affirm that the Dominican Navy has reinforced its operations and maintains an expanded surveillance process to prevent new departures.
Factors and measures that have contributed to the reduction in travel
He also indicated that the constants immigration operations in Puerto Rico have influenced this reductiondue to the ease with which people who manage to arrive can be detected and arrested again.
In Savannah of the Seathe regional coordinator of the Environment and former councilor Luis Lopez assured that the clandestine trips have been significantly reduced in recent months.
López attributed this decrease to immigration measures stricter measures implemented by the US president donald trump.
“Many people have decided to refrain from trying clandestine trips in yawls,” he said. According to him, these policies “have made people have fear” and, as a consequence, “right now there are no trips leaving and they have significantly diminished“.
A similar panorama is observed in michesEl Seibo province. The interim director of Civil Defense, Carlos de la Rosaagreed that illegal departures to the neighboring island have visibly decreased in that coastal area.
He considered that this trend represents a positive progress because it reduces the risk of more people being exposed to dangerous conditions on the high seas.
De la Rosa urged those who contemplate the possibility of undertaking an illegal crossing to desist: “Always look for the correct way and legal to travel, and do not risk your lives.
