CG JOSEPH NAPIER

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Coast Guard Cutter interdicted boat with seven migrants

The US Coast Guard returned 47 migrants to the Dominican Republic between Oct 24 and Oct 27, following three separate interdictions of migration voyages in Mona Passage waters near Puerto Rico. Ten of the interdicted migrants remained in U.S. custody to face federal prosecution by the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico on a range of separate charges including attempted reentry into the United States under 8 U.S.C. 1326, unlawful entry into the United States under 8 U.S.C. 1325, and failure to heave to under 18 U.S.C. 2237. The first of the three interdictions occurred onm Oct. 23, when the crew of the CG 'Joseph Napier' stopped a 26-foot makeshift vessel, after a maritime patrol aircraft had sighted the suspect vessel in waters north of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The crew embarked all seven migrants, including six men and a woman, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals. Six of the migrants from this case were repatriated to the Dominican Republic, while one other migrant awaiting prosecution was transferred to U.S. Border Patrol custody, Oct. 24. The second interdiction occurred, on the morning of Oct 25, after a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft sighted a 25-foot makeshift vessel south of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the 'Paul Clark' again to interdict the vessel. Once on scene, tthe small boat crew gained positive control of the suspect vessel. Following the interdiction, the 'Paul Clark' safely embarked 17 men and six women who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals. Nineteen migrants from this case were repatriated to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel off Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, while four others awaiting prosecution were transferred to U.S. Border Patrol custody in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Oct 27. The third interdiction occurred on the afternoon of Oct 26, after the crew of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft sighted a suspect makeshift vessel transiting southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the 'Paul Clark' to carry out the interdiction. Once on scene, the Over the Horizon boat was deployed in pursuit of the suspect vessel. Shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard boat stopped the vessel and embarked 27 migrants, 22 men and five women, of which 24 claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals and three others claimed to be Haitian. 22 migrants from this case were repatriated to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel just off Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Oct 27, while five others awaiting prosecution were transferred to U.S. Border Patrol custody in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on Oct 28. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3949234/coast-guard-repatriates-47-migrants-to-dominican-republic-following-3-at-sea-in/

58 migrants interdicted in Mona Passage

The Coast Guard Cutters 'Joseph Doyle' and 'Joseph Napier' returned 58 migrants to the Dominican Republic between Octz 5 and Oct 7, following the interdictions of an irregular, unlawful maritime migration voyage in Mona Passage waters near Puerto Rico. The 'Joseph Doyle' returned 56 migrants to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel on Oct 5, while the 'Joseph Napier' repatriated two remaining migrants from the group to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel on Oct 7, just off Punta Cana. The interdiction occurred on the evening of Oct 2,, when the crew of the 'Joseph Doyle' sighted a grossly overloaded makeshift vessel in the Mona Passage waters east of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The cutter embarked all 58 migrants, consisting of 42 men and seven women, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, seven men and one woman who claimed to be Haitian nationals, and one man who claimed to be a Venezuelan national. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3928359/coast-guard-returns-58-migrants-to-dominican-republic-following-at-sea-interdic/

136 migrants repatriated following three interdictions

Coast Guard cutters repatriated 136 migrants to the Dominican Republic between May 21 and May 27, following three separate interdictions of migration attempts near Puerto Rico. The first interdiction occurred on May 17, after the aircrew of a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft sighted a 24-foot makeshift vessel taking part in an unlawful maritime migration voyage, approximately 52 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders diverted the 'Joseph Napier' which arrived on scene and embarked eight migrants who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals. The second interdiction occurred May 20, 2024, when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) marine units interdicted a grossly overloaded makeshift vessel, approximately two nautical miles west of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter 'Joseph Tezanos', which rendezvoused with CBP and a Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine units and embarked 68 migrants, 60 Dominican Republic and eight Haitian nationals. The last interdiction occurred on May 21, 2024, after the aircrew of a maritime patrol aircraft detected a 30-foot makeshift vessel, approximately 63 nautical miles north of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the Coast Guard Cutter 'Richard Dixon', which arrived on scene, stopped the migrant vessel and embarked 61 migrants, 59 Dominican Republic and two Haitian nationals. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3789058/coast-guard-repatriates-136-migrants-to-dominican-republic-following-3-separate/