USCG repatriates 52 migrants to the Dominican Republic

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Doyle (WPC-1133) repatriated 52 migrants to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel Monday, following the interdiction of an illegal migrant voyage west of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

The interdiction is the result of ongoing multiagency efforts in support of Operation Caribbean Guard and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG).

While on a routine patrol of the Mona Passage Sunday night, the crew of a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry marine enforcement aircraft detected an illegal migrant voyage, approximately 30 nautical miles west of Cabo Rojo. The cutter Joseph Doyle responded to interdict the suspect vessel, while an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen was launched to provide rescue support overhead.

Shortly thereafter, the cutter Joseph Doyle arrived on scene and, with the assistance of the cutter’s small boat, stopped the 20-foot makeshift boat that was transporting 48 adult men and four women, who claimed being Dominican Republic nationals. The crew of cutter Joseph Doyle safely embarked the migrants for safety of life at sea concerns.

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants received food, water, shelter and basic medical attention. Throughout the interdiction, Coast Guard crewmembers were equipped with personal protective equipment to minimize potential exposure to any possible case of COVID-19. There were no migrants in this case reported to have any COVID-19 related symptoms.

Cutter Joseph Doyle transported the migrants to Dominican Republic territorial waters off Punta Cana, where they completed the transfer and repatriation of the migrants to Dominican Republic navy authorities.

Cutter Joseph Doyle is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.