Immigration
U.S. Coast Guard repatriates more than 300 Cuban migrants over the weekend
In October alone, the Coast Guard intercepted 921 Cubans
October 25, 2022 7:39am
Updated: October 25, 2022 7:39am
The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 319 Cuban migrants to their homeland over the weekend after they were intercepted at sea near Florida’s coast, the agency said in a press statement.
Coast Guard officials intercepted 185 Cubans on Friday and 94 on Saturday. The two groups were repatriated on Tuesday.
#Breaking @USCG Cutter Paul Clark's crew repatriated 94 Cubans to #Cuba, Sat.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) October 22, 2022
"Taking to the sea on overloaded, rustic vessels is dangerous and unsafe. Use a safe and legal means of coming to the U.S." - said Lt. Ives
Read: https://t.co/LSFazkMLLY
@USEmbCuba #DontTakeToTheSea pic.twitter.com/iuekz9ERYp
Additionally, the Coast Guard intercepted 40 more migrants on Sunday, which were also subsequently repatriated.
#Breaking @USCG Cutter Paul clark's crew repatriated 40 Cubans to #Cuba, Sun.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) October 23, 2022
Family members in the United States inquiring about possible family members interdicted at sea, please contact your local U.S. representative.@USEmbCuba #DontTakeToTheSea pic.twitter.com/elaKWX0Ja4
Most of the migrants were found traveling in fishing boats, homemade rafts, or rustic vessels, many of which were overloaded with people.
“Taking to the sea on overloaded, rustic vessels is dangerous and unsafe,” Lt. Connor Ives, a Coast Guard Atlantic district law enforcement officer, said in the agency's statement.
In October alone, the Coast Guard intercepted 921 Cubans, starting the fiscal year 2023 at a pace that might surpass the 6,128 repatriations to Cuba that took place in the fiscal year 2022.
Cubans have historically attempted to cross the sea to reach the United States to escape the economic and political crisis that their island is facing. However, the fiscal year 2022 saw a significant increase in the number of Cubans intercepted at sea, increasing from 838 intercepted in 2021 and 49 in 2020, according to the Coast Guard.
In addition to the 6,128 Cubans intercepted at sea, Border Patrol agents encountered 220,000 Cubans near the U.S.-Mexico border in the fiscal year 2022, according to figures from the Department of Homeland Security.
