MIAMI — Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Sawfish repatriated 18 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Monday.
On June 5, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla., received a report from a good Samaritan of migrants aboard a rustic vessel south of Cudjoe Key, Fla.
The Coast Guard Cutter Valiant responded to the report and the crew safely embarked 18 Cuban migrants.
The migrants were then transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Sawfish for repatriation.
"Illegal migrant ventures at sea are both risky and dangerous," said Capt. Brendan McPherson, 7th Coast Guard District chief of enforcement. "The Coast Guard will continue to put a high priority on patrolling offshore to prevent illegal migration and rescue those who put themselves at risk aboard unseaworthy rafts and rusticas."
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.
The Coast Guard Cutter Sawfish is a 87-foot patrol boat, homeported in Key West.
The Coast Guard Cutter Valiant is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter, homeported in Jacksonville, Fla .
For more information on how to legally immigrate to the United States, call U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at 1-800-375-5283 or visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.