Coast Guard repatriates 12 migrants to Dominican Republic following vessel interdiction off Puerto Rico

The Coast Guard Cutter returned 12 migrants to the Dominican Republic between Thursday and Friday, following the interdiction of an irregular, unlawful migration voyage near Puerto Rico. The cutter Paul Clark crew returned 10 of the migrants to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel, Thursday, while the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier crew repatriated the two remaining migrants from the group to Punta Juanillo, Dominican Republic, Friday afternoon. The interdiction occurred Wednesday night, after the crew of a Customs and Border Protection multi-role enforcement aircraft sighted a grossly overloaded makeshift vessel, approximately 62 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The cutter Paul Clark arrived on-scene and launched the cutter’s over-the-horizon small boat crew which successfully stopped the suspect vessel.  The cutter crew and embarked all 12 migrants consisting of eight men, two women and two unaccompanied minors, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals.