By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, MIAMI, FL, Fri. July 15, 2016: It’s only 15 days into the month of July 2016, but already, over 100 Cuban nationals trying to enter the U.S. illegally have been nabbed and sent back by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Between July 1st and 5th, a total of 113 were returned to the Communist Caribbean island after risking their lives on chugs or rustic vessels in the Florida Straits to land on U.S. soil.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore repatriated 50 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba on Tuesday, July 5th while on July 1, 2016, the Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark repatriated 63 Cuban migrants.
“We discourage anyone from taking to the sea and attempting to reach U.S. soil illegally, they are risking their lives with very little chance of success,” said Capt. Mark Gordon, chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District. “Navigating the Florida Straits can be extremely dangerous for the unprepared on illegal voyages and often leads to injury or death.”
Since Oct. 1, 2015, at least 5,043 Cubans have attempted to illegally migrate to the U.S. via the maritime environment compared to 4,473 in fiscal year 2015.
