South Florida Sun-Sentinel
May 2, 2006

Coast Guard repatriates 74 Cubans

MIAMI -- The U.S. Coast Guard announced the repatriation of 74 Cuban migrants by one of its cutters today.

Thirty five of the 74 migrants were intercepted on a grossly overloaded 32-foot go-fast vessel that was trying to enter the U.S. illegally Thursday. The vessel was disabled by the Coast Guard, 20 miles southeast of Islamorada. The migrants were transferred to the cutter Nunivak. Two suspected smugglers were taken into custody and turned over to Customs and Border Protection agents.

Here is how the Coast Guard says the other groups of migrants were found:

Another group of 16 Cuban migrants was also interdicted in the Florida Keys Thursday. The group was found in a home-made boat eight miles south of the Marquesas.

On April 25, a Good Samaritan located a rustic vessel with eight Cuban migrants onboard in the Yucatan Straits. The Good Samaritan contacted the Coast Guard and the cutter Dauntless was dispatched to find the vessel and embarked the migrants.

On April 24, Coast Guard and CBP aircraft located a go-fast vessel heading north in the vicinity of Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas. Two suspected smugglers and 15 Cuban migrants were onboard. The migrants were transferred to the cutter Sawfish. The two suspected smugglers were taken into custody and turned over to CBP agents.