Coast Guard Detains 71 Haitians Off of Coast of Puerto Rico

Border Patrol officers and U.S. Coast Guard personnel detained 71 Haitian migrants who arrived on several islands off the coast of western Puerto Rico, officials said.

The first group of migrants was spotted early Friday, when the Coast Guard detained two Haitians on the islet of Monito, the Border Patrol said in a statement.

A Coast Guard ship and Border Patrol helicopters rescued 69 other Haitians who had arrived on Desecheo Island, located near the city of Rincon.

The majority of the migrants were dehydrated and bruised, and were taken to hospitals for treatment, officials said.

The migrants were later transported to the Border Patrol’s Ramey Station in Aguadilla, a city in western Puerto Rico, and will be deported.

This is the second large group of migrants detained in Puerto Rico in recent days.

A group of 67 Cubans, Dominicans and Haitians was detained last week.

A Haitian woman in that group died, officials said.

Published in Latino Daily News