The United States Coast Guard said it rescued and repatriated 89 illegal Caribbean migrants from a sinking vessel off the Western Coast of Puerto Rico.
On Tuesday night, a patrol aircraft spotted the vessel with the migrants.
Afterwards, the cutter, Joseph Doyle, stopped the ‘grossly overloaded’ boat and safely embarked 75 men and 14 women who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals.
“A potential tragedy was averted in this case,” said Commander Gerard Wenk, Sector San Juan chief of response.
Wenk said the illegal migrants’ vessel was taking on the water more than forty miles from shore.
