
A 41-foot sailing vessel carrying 13 undocumented migrants was intercepted on October 12 near Combate Beach in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, by Air and Marine Operations (AMO) — a division of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The operation began when an AMO surveillance team identified the vessel approaching Puerto Rico’s western coast. With the support of the US Coast Guard and the Puerto Rico Police Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción (FURA) unit, authorities halted the boat near the shoreline and escorted it to the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit for inspection.
Migrants‘ Nationalities
During the inspection, Marine Interdiction Agents discovered 13 individuals on board: ten men from Uzbekistan, one woman from Kyrgyzstan, and two men from Russia. None possessed valid documents authorising entry into the United States.
«This successful interdiction demonstrates the unwavering commitment and vigilance of the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit in protecting our nation’s borders,» said Christopher Hunter, Director of the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch. «By intercepting this vessel before it reached Puerto Rico’s shores, we upheld the integrity of maritime security and ensured the safety of our communities.»
The migrants were detained and later handed over in good health to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents for further processing.
Kursiv also reports that in early July, five Iranian nationals and two citizens of Uzbekistan were detained in a minivan in Mooers Forks, New York, a town near the US–Canada border.