CNN
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The US Coast Guard says it repatriated 273 Cuban migrants Sunday after intercepting a lot of boats off the Florida coast on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The migrants have been returned to Cuba aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk, consistent with a information free up.
“The Coast Guard continues to interdict and rescue migrants from grossly overloaded, unseaworthy vessels,” mentioned Lt. Cmdr. John Beal of Coast Guard District Seven.
“These illegal voyages are always dangerous and often deadly. We are working closely with partner agencies to save lives and prevent illegal entry to the United States via our southeast maritime border,” Beal mentioned.
The migrants have been intercepted on a number of events on December 31, 2022 and January 1, 2023, the discharge mentioned.
One of the vessels had capsized when a “good Samaritan” alerted the Coast Guard to its presence in waters about 35 miles north of Havana, it mentioned.
According to the Coast Guard, as soon as the migrants have been aboard a Coast Guard cutter, they gained meals, water, safe haven and fundamental clinical consideration.
The Coast Guard mentioned its crews interdicted 4,795 Cubans since October 1, 2022, in comparison to 6,182 Cuban migrants in all of fiscal 12 months 2022, 838 Cuban migrants in fiscal 12 months 2021 and 49 Cuban migrants in fiscal 12 months 2020.
On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an government order activating the state’s National Guard and directing legislation enforcement and different state companies to supply sources to enhance native governments responding to the inflow of migrants, his place of business mentioned in a information free up.
Last week, the National Park Service introduced it was once quickly remaining Dry Tortugas National Park within the Florida Keys to the general public because of an inflow of migrants from Cuba.
In a information free up, the carrier mentioned the park can be closed for a number of days “while law enforcement and medical personnel evaluate, provide care for and coordinate transport to Key West for approximately 300 migrants who arrived in the park over the past couple of days.”
The park is set 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West and is best accessibly by means of boat or seaplane.
“Like elsewhere in the Florida Keys, the park has recently seen an increase in people arriving by boat from Cuba and landing on the islands of Dry Tortugas National Park,” the park carrier mentioned.
The park’s closure “is necessary for the safety of visitors and staff because of the resources and space needed to attend to the migrants,” the park carrier mentioned.
The agency announced Sunday the park would reopen at 8 a.m. Monday January 9.
