By Space Coast Daily // July 20, 2020
(U.S. COAST GUARD) – The Richard Etheridge Coast Guard repatriated 58 Dominican Republic army migrants on Friday afternoon, following a ban on 3 separate illegal Thursdays at the Mona crossing on puerto Rico’s west coast.
The arrested migrants are believed to be citizens of the Dominican Republic.
Multi-agency bans are the result of ongoing efforts in Operation Caribbean Guard and cbIG Group between Caribbean border agencies.
“I am proud of my team and the cooperation between the prohibition agencies involved in these cases ensured the protection of the 58 migrants in a fluid and dynamic environment in which 3 illegal trips were banned within hours,” said the lieutenant. Jane Sarnecky, commander of the cutter Richard Etheridge.
“If you are making plans to take part in an illegal journey, you go to the sea, it threatens your life and that of everyone else on board. Mona’s passage is damaging and relentless, especially in the case of overcrowded and unviable makeshift boats without lifeguards on board.
The first illegal trip was detected Thursday afternoon through the team of an HC-144 Ocean Sentry Coast Guard aircraft, about 38 nautical miles northwest of Rincon, Puerto Rico.
Cutter Richard Etheridge turned to the scene, where the team stopped the 30-foot makeshift boat and embarked on the 26 men and 8 on board.
The moment the migrants’ affair was banned Thursday night through the team of a Marine Unit of the Puerto Rico Police Joint Action Forces on patrol, just off the coast of Aguada, Puerto Rico.
Cutter Richard Etheridge arrived on the scene with the 26-foot migrant boat and the team climbed the migrants, 8 men and three women, from the makeshift boat.
The third illegal trip was banned Thursday night through the equipment of a maritime customs unit and border cover, about five nautical miles northeast of Desecheo Island in Puerto Rico.
Cutter Richard Etheridge arrived on the scene with the 22-foot migrant boat and the team boarded the thirteen migrants, 10 men and 3 women, who were brought aboard the cutter.
The cutter Richard Etheridge transported the 58 migrants from the 3 instances to the territorial waters of the Dominican Republic, where they were repatriated to a military shipment from the Dominican Republic near Punta Cana.
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants gained food, water, shelter and critical medical care. Throughout the ban, Coast Guard team members received non-public protective equipment to minimize possible exposure to any imaginable coVID-19 cases.
The Richard Etheridge cutter is a 154-foot quick-response cutter used at home in Miami.
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