The United States Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos repatriated over 100 migrants to the Dominican Republic on Monday following three interdictions of unlawful, irregular migration attempts during the weekend.
After the interdictions near Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard and the Dominican Republic Navy worked in tandem, transferring the migrants during two separate rendezvous with the Dominican Republic Navy vessel Capella just off Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
According to a Coast Guard release, the most recent interdiction occurred Sunday night.
The release disclosed that a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew sighted a grossly overloaded makeshift vessel in the Mona Passage northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
The cutter, Joseph Tezanos, intercepted the suspect vessel and embarked 34 migrants who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals.
The second interdiction occurred Sunday morning involving a group of migrant stowaways aboard the towed barge Amelia.
Puerto Rico authorities rescued two of the migrants who jumped overboard.
The authorities later embarked 11 migrants, including ten Dominican Republic nationals and one Haitian.
The first interdiction occurred Saturday evening when the Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos intercepted a ‘grossly overloaded’ vessel and embarked 51 Dominican Republic nationals and six Haitians.
