U.S. repatriates 32 Cubans pulled from sea south of the Keys

Posted on Friday, 11.02.12
COAST GUARD

U.S. repatriates 32 Cubans pulled from sea south of the Keys

The Coast Guard picked up the boaters in two batches, on Oct. 18 and 20,
and returned them to Bahia de Cabañas on Thursday
By CAROL ROSENBERG
crosenberg@miamiherald.com

The United States has intercepted another 32 Cubans at sea trying to
reach South Florida in crude boats and on Thursday returned them to the
island at Bahia de Cabañas, the Coast Guard announced Friday.

The cruise ship Disney Magic spotted a dozen of the migrants southwest
of Key West on Oct. 18 in a "15-foot rustic vessel," the Coast Guard said.

A cutter, the Decisive, picked them up.

Two days later, a Coast Guard patrol plane out of Miami spotted another
20 Cubans south of Marathon — and dispatched the Cutter Kodiak Island to
retrieve them.

The Coast Guard provided no ages or additional information on the Cuban
migrants in its disclosure of the repatriation.

But it issued a stern warning that their activities were both illegal
and dangerous.

"The Coast Guard and our partner agencies will continue to patrol
vigilantly to rescue and repatriate undocumented migrants who take to
the sea," the chief of law enforcement in the Miami area, Coast Guard
Capt. Brendan McPherson said in a statement.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/02/3079282/us-repatriates-32-cubans-pulled.html