Coast Guard Repatriates 63 Migrants After Intercepting Overcrowded Vessel

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has repatriated 63 migrants to the Dominican Republic after they were apprehended at sea while heading toward the United States.

The 63 migrants were among 66 people on a 30-foot “grossly overloaded makeshift vessel” detected by Coast Guard personnel on Friday, the USCG said in an Oct. 20 statement.

The cutter Winslow Griesser intercepted the boat in the Mona Passage, roughly 70 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

Of the 66 people onboard, 55 men and four women claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, while six men and one woman said they were Haitian.

As the Winslow Griesser transferred the 63 people to two Dominican Republic Navy vessels on Saturday, the remaining three were placed in federal custody and are facing charges of illegal attempted reentry to the United States.

“I’m proud of my crew and the Coast Guard aircrews for stopping what could have been a treacherous journey for all onboard an overloaded migrant vessel,” said Lt. Alex Kearney, the Winslow Griesser’s commanding officer.

“They saved 66 people from a dangerously overloaded vessel attempting to transit across a vast ocean with little to no safety equipment and no regard to the safety of human life at sea.

“These voyages are extremely dangerous, and anyone conducting illegal smuggling migrant ventures may be subject to prosecution and imprisonment.”

The Coast Guard clarified that migrants interdicted at sea or taken into custody onshore will not be allowed to stay in the United States or a U.S. territory.

Unlawful arrivals may end up being declared ineligible for immigration parole options.

The recent interdiction is part of a Homeland Security Task Force initiative by President Donald Trump through a January 2025 executive order—Protecting the American People Against Invasion.

In its latest statement, USCG said it maintains a presence in the Florida Straits, Windward Passage, Mona Passage, and Caribbean Sea together with partners from Operation Vigilant Sentry and Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Operation Vigilant Sentry, approved in 2004, seeks to address illegal maritime migration in the Caribbean corridor to the United States.

Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos is a counternarcotics operation carried out by the United States, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos.

According to a Jan. 13 report from the Government Accountability Office, nearly 70,000 migrants tried to cross the Caribbean Sea and Florida Straits to reach the United States during fiscal year 2022 through 2024.

In another repatriation event, Coast Guard Cutter Isaac Mayo’s crew returned six people to Cuba, USCG said in an Oct. 13 statement.

The repatriated individuals were apprehended in two separate incidents—a maritime migrant vessel interdiction and the rescue of people aboard a disabled boat in the Florida Straits.

Three human smugglers from the Dominican Republic were indicted this month by a federal grand jury, according to an Oct. 8 statement from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The charges against the individuals stem from their alleged involvement in a maritime smuggling venture in which a vessel carrying migrants capsized near Mona Island, Puerto Rico, in late September.

Three people died, 12 are still missing, and 49 people were rescued in the incident.

“This case demonstrates the grave danger associated with human smuggling operations,” Hector Ramirez-Carbo, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, said in a statement.

“Human smugglers threaten our national security and exploit vulnerable people for profit with no regard for their safety.”