US Coast Guard intercepts 99 Dominicans headed to Puerto Rico
Thursday, April 8, 2004
MIAMI, USA (AFP): The US Coast Guard
intercepted nearly 100 Dominican nationals at sea as they tried to reach
neighboring Puerto Rico, according to a statement released Wednesday after
their overnight attempt. Since last weekend,
around 480 people -- Dominicans and some Haitians and Peruvians -- have tried
to reach the US commonwealth of Puerto Rico, mainly in makeshift boats, the
Coast Guard said. A total of 99 people in
three boats used for the attempt late Tuesday have been deported to the
Dominican Republic. Three people who jumped into the water are still missing.
Vessels carrying would-be migrants are often intercepted in the Mona Passage
separating the two countries. The
economically-struggling Dominican Republic is less than 130 kilometers (80
miles) away from Puerto Rico's west coast.
More than 3,100 Dominicans have been stopped at sea in the three months since
January 2004, double the figure for the whole of 2003, the Coast Guard said.
Back...
Most popular
articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed
Printable
version
| 
