Coast Guard rescues, repatriates 89 migrants to Dominican Republic following vessel interdiction in Mona Passage

Coast Guard crews repatriated 89 migrants to the Dominican Republic, Thursday, following the interdiction of an overloaded, makeshift vessel in Mona Passage waters off the western coast of Puerto Rico.   During a Tuesday night patrol, a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine multirole enforcement aircraft aircrew detected a suspect vessel in Mona Passage waters northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Doyle to intercept the vessel. Once on scene, the cutter Joseph Doyle launched the cutter’s Over the Horizon boat and stoppeed the grossly overloaded vessel. The crew of the cutter Joseph Doyle embarked 75 men and 14 women who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals.