The United States Coast Guard warns migrant vessels attempting to enter the United States during the nationwide cold front that it is “unpredictable” and dangerous to do so, according to a Thursday news release from the agency.
“Winter weather is unpredictable in the Florida Strait,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Cobb, 7th Coast Guard District, according to the release. “It can lead to these rustic and dangerous vessels capsizing and people dying.”
US Coast Guard Southeast 7th District “repatriated 67 Cubans to Cuba on Thursday following interceptions off the coast of Florida”, he said, adding that the migrants had been found Monday and Tuesday.
On Monday, a migrant boat was found around 9:40 a.m. local time, “approximately 20 miles north of Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas,” the statement said, while another migrant boat was found, “at about 50 miles south of Marathon.”
On Tuesday, migrants were found in “a capsized migrant vessel … approximately 40 miles south of Boot Key,” the statement said, while another migrant vessel was found, “approximately 35 miles south of Marquesas Key”.
A third boat was found Tuesday evening, “about 20 miles south of Key West,” the statement said.
