Migrants Caught Off Florida Coast Repatriated
MIAMI (CBS4) -- A group of 19 Cubans seeking America's shore were repatriated by the Coast Guard Monday to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba.
Migrants were caught in three separate attempts between Tuesday and Thursday last week.
Two groups of Cubans were found on separate rusting boats, one with seven found Thursday about 60 miles south of Marquesas, and one with eight migrants found 65 miles south of Key West were initially taken into custody.
In a third incident multiple air crews from the Coast Guard Air Station in Miami found a 30-foot boat eight miles east of Hillsboro Inlet on Tuesday that took extra effort to bring under control.
The Coast Guard said this boat captain refused to stop and sped towards land until gunshots were fired across the bow.
The boat finally halted just four miles off the coastline, according to a Coast Guard statement Monday.
Aboard were two suspected smugglers, four Cuban and four Haitian migrants.
One of the Haitians was turned over to Customs and Border Protection officials in Fort Lauderdale for medical attention.
