The Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton’s crew repatriated 17 Cuban migrants to Cuba on March 22, 2021. The 17 Cuban migrants were interdicted on March 18, 2021 by the crew approximately 54 miles south of Key West, Florida and brought aboard due to safety of life at sea concerns.
Lt. Cmdr. Mario Gil, Coast Guard liaison officer, U.S. Embassy Havana says:
“People who attempt to illegally enter the United States by taking to the sea put their lives, and the lives of their accompanying family members at grave risk. We strongly discourage these dangerous and deadly voyages in favor of safe and legal ways to enter the United States.”
Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention. Throughout the interdiction Coast Guard crew members were equipped with personal protective equipment to minimize potential exposure to any possible case of COVID-19. There were no migrants in these cases reported to have any COVID-19 related symptoms.
Since Oct. 1, 2020, Coast Guard crews have interdicted 107 Cubans.
