MIAMI, United States. – Border Patrol agents rescued nine Cuban rafters who were stranded on an islet 20 miles west of Key West, reported this Thursday Coast Guard Patrol Chief Walter N. Slosar.
The group of Cubans reached Marquesas Key in an artisanal boat that capsized when it was very close to touching the shore.
“This is a dangerous sea voyage. Fortunately, there were no injuries,” Slosar said.
Just this Tuesday the United States Coast Guard repatriated to the Island 55 Cuban rafters intercepted in the Straits of Florida in six different operations, according to a statement of the US body.
A few days earlier, on Friday the 13th, he had already repatriated 86 rafters that were intercepted in seven different operations between May 7 and 11 near the Florida Keys, as specified another statement.
Coast Guard warns of increased illegal migration
Since October 1, 2021, the start of the current fiscal year, US Coast Guard crews have intercepted 1,879 Cuban raftersa figure that exceeds the number of migrants from the Island intercepted each fiscal year from 2017 to 2021.
According to the agency, the statistics have behaved as follows: 5,396 Cubans intercepted in fiscal year 2016; 1,468 in 2017; 259 in 2018; 313 in 2019; 49 in 2020 and 838 in 2021.
“We urge families in the United States to encourage their loved ones to migrate legally,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Cobb, a security officer for Coast Guard District Seven in the wake of the soaring illegal migration of Cubans in the past. going from the current fiscal year.
“Illegally crossing the unpredictable Florida Straits in crude and improvised boats is very dangerous and can result in loss of life,” he added.
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