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An overcrowded migrant vessel carrying 240 people and taking on water was intercepted near the Turks and Caicos Islands after authorities raced to prevent a potential maritime disaster.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it conducted a joint operation Sunday with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) to stop a vessel carrying hundreds of migrants who claimed Haitian nationality.
According to a Coast Guard news release, authorities received a report of “an unlawful migrant voyage” approximately 15 miles south of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Video released by the Coast Guard shows responding crews assisting local authorities as they secured and towed the overcrowded vessel.
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An overloaded migrant vessel carrying 240 people was seen near the Turks and Caicos Islands over the weekend before authorities intervened. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott via X)
The Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force later took custody of the vessel and its passengers, the Coast Guard said.
More than 140 personnel participated in the operation, according to the agency.
“The successful interdiction and safe removal of these individuals from a perilous situation was made possible by the close collaboration and swift response of the Coast Guard, CBP AMO personnel, and authorities from the Turks and Caicos Islands,” Lt. Chelsea Garcia, deputy director of Coast Guard Operations Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, said in a statement.
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A Coast Guard aircrew helped guide responding vessels to an overcrowded migrant boat carrying hundreds of people, officials said. (U.S. Coast Guard)
“We strongly advise anyone considering participating in an unlawful maritime migration attempt to reconsider,” Garcia continued. “These journeys are extremely hazardous, frequently involving severely overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels that are often taking on water and lack basic life-saving equipment.”
Garcia encouraged would-be migrants to pursue “safe, legal, and orderly avenues” rather than “risking their lives at sea.”
The Department of Homeland Security also reacted to footage of the operation on social media.
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Authorities said the vessel was taking on water and at risk of sinking when responders arrived. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott via X)
“OUR BORDERS ARE CLOSED,” the agency wrote on X. “Whether by land or sea — if you try to enter our nation illegally, we will hunt you down and find you.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott shared images from the interdiction and praised the cooperation between the Coast Guard and its international partners.
“The overcrowded vessel was taking on water and in danger of sinking,” Scott wrote on X.
“Our personnel helped prevent what could have been a catastrophic loss of life while stopping yet another illegal migration attempt,” he continued. “The message remains clear: illegal maritime migration is dangerous, it is not worth the risk, and you will not gain entry into the US.”
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Officials said the vessel was carrying 240 people who claimed Haitian nationality. (U.S. Coast Guard)
The operation comes months after the Coast Guard and CBP intercepted multiple suspected smuggling vessels off the California coast, resulting in the apprehension of 60 people aboard three boats.
Digital’s Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.
