News

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/

The 'Tjøtta', operating on the route Forvik-Tjøtta, had to cancel its sailings on Oct 29, 2024, due to technical issueswith gear.. As a replacement, the shuttle boat 'Flesa' was inserted between Minland and Tjøtta according to the regular timetable for the local route until further notice also on Oct 30. The shuttle boat, howver, only takes passengers. The ferry 'Sigrid' on the direct route calls at Tro and Stokkasjøen on certain departures. On Oct 30 at 6 a.m. UTC the ''Tjøtta' sailed from the port of Tjøtta to a shipyard in Sandnessjøen, where it arrived at 7.30 a.m. for permanent repairs.

On the early morning of Oct 29, 2024, the 'Odyssey-FR 70', with six crew members on board, started sinking in the North Sea, approximately 140 miles east of the Firth of Forth. The Coastguard in Aberdeen received a distress signal at around 5.30 a.m. this morning. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) quickly sent out an alert to the surrounding ships in the area and asked for assistance. The Coastguard also requested that the nearest rescue helicopter be dispatched as a stand-by should further efforts become necessary. A nearby fishing vessel immediately responded to the distress signal and set course for the "Odyssey's" position. The crew was transferred via a life raft onto the trawler and were safe and without injuries. The cause of the sinking of the "Odyssey" was still unknown, The relevant authorities have been notified and will further investigate the case.

On Oct 27, Salvamento Marítimo located a rubber boat 52 miles from Garrucha (Almería), aboard in which 32 Moroccan men were travelling. After receiving a notice during the morning in which a telephone number and a given position were attached, the ,/v 'Nsted Maersk' was asked to divert to the location of the boat, as it was close to it and after failing to contact the number provided. At first, the ship reported that it did not see any boat, but later found a rubber boat, in which the people were travelling on board without life jackets. The 'Guardamar Polinnia' was mobilized, which located the boat at 4:15 p.m. Three men were found dead inside the inflatable boat, while the remaining migrants were in apparently good health. Both the rescued people and the lifeless bodies were transferred to the Port of Almería, where they arrived at 5:20 p.m.

On oct 28, 2024, at midday, the Port Authorities of Corfu, Igoumenitsa, Preveza, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Katakolo, Kyllini, Messolonghi and Patras were informed about the damage to one of the three generators of the 'AF Claudia' west of Corfu. The ship was operating a scheduled route from the port of Venice to the ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras, with 133 passengers on board. The ship sailed to the port of Patras, where it moored safely. The Central Port Authority of Patras initially prohibited the ship from sailing, while upon presentation of a certificate of class maintenance from the recognized organization that monitors it, it was allowed to continue the planned route. The passengers who were going to disembark at the port of Igoumenitsa were forwarded to their destination by the management company.

The 'Maran Spirit, en route from Itaqui to Huanhu, was boarded by one male perpetrator on Oct 18, 2024, at 2.33 a.m., approximately 2.8 nautical miles north of Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 6.18' N 103° 42.37' E. Nothing was reported stolen, and no injuries were reported.

The 'AOM Bianca', en route from Paranagua to Kaoshiung, was boarded by two men about 6.7 nautical miles northeast of Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 8.23' N 103° 46.93' E on Oct 26, 2024, at 11.42 p.m. No stolen items and no injuries were reported.

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/

On Oct 28, a cayuco, with 71 people of sub-Saharan origin on board, was spotted near the Maspalomas beach. Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Macondo' to assist, which accompanied the boat to Arguineguín, where the migrants disembarked.

The 'Agia Theodora', carrying 550 passengers and 16 crew members ran aground on Oct 28, 2024, at 7 p.m., four nautical miles northwest of the port of Igoumenitsa. The ferry got stuck in shallow waters, posing no threat to passenger safety. A coast guard vessel and a tourist boat were on the scene, with three tugboats and additional support en route. Weather conditions were calm. The ship refloated with own engines and proceeded to port. accompanied by two tugs, three coast guard boats and a passenger ferry. Report with photos: https://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/1555912/igoumenitsa-aisio-telos-stin-peripeteia-550-epivaton-ploiou-apokollithike-me-ti-sundromi-rumoulkon/

After the 'Moliva' has returned to Tirana, the Albanian prosecutor’s office in the port has ordered the suspicious containers to be seized and stored in an environmentally and physically safe place for monitoring on Oct 28, and prevented the ship suspected of transferring a huge amount of hazardous waste from docking at the main port of Tirana. The ship was kept about a kilometer from the port of Durres. The Seattle-based environmental non-governmental organization Basel Action Network (BAN) had reported the ship to authorities in August after an anonymous tip that its 102 containers were suspected of carrying an estimated 2,100 tons of steel industry pollution filter dust. The cargo first left Durres on July 4, on two ships chartered by the shipping company Maersk, bound for Thailand. The NGO also alerted several transit countries and worked with EARTH, a Thai environmental organization, to raise the alarm.

While fishing for scallops off Ouistreham, the "Star of Jura" was diverted to the port of Le Havre by a maritime affairs patrol boat on Oct 26, 2024. Part of its cargo did not comply with regulations. Of the 16 tons of scallops on board the ship, about one ton should not have been caught, the shells being still too small. French and British fishermen do not have the same fishing instruments: the dredges used by the latter are smaller. They therefore allow more shells to be brought up, but once on board, they must be sorted and the molluscs that are too small must be returned to the water. The maritime affairs administration met on Oct 28 to decide on the future of the cargo. The prosecutor's office in Le Havre has released the master. However, the Seine-Maritime prefecture indicated that an administrative procedure has been initiated. It targets the skipper and the ship's owner.

The 'Aspasia Luck' , en route from Vistino to Tieshan Xingang, was boarded by 10 perpetrators, armed with knives, approximately 5.5 nautical miles east of Pulau Karimun Kecil in pos. 1° 7.88' N 103° 30.33' E on Oct 18. 2024, at 2.08 a.m. The intruders stole engine spares and escaped. No injuries were reported. The ship reached the port of destination on Oct 26.

On Oct 28, the 'Salvamar Adhara' accompanies a cayuco, whichg was located two nautical miles south of La Restinga, with 81 sub-Saharan people on board, among them seven women and three minors, to the port of La Restinga. The response was coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo.

The US Coast Guard medevaced the captain of the 'Triple Andy' 65 nautical miles off Honolulu on Oct 28, 2024. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center watchstanders received a phone call at 4:17 p.m. from the fishing vessel, reporting that the 69-year-old man was experiencing shortness of breath and chest pain. The watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point arrived on scene with the 'Triple Andy' at 8 p.m. The patient was hoisted and transported to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. The man was reportedly in stable condition. Report with video: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3949825/coast-guard-medevacs-ailing-captain-from-fishing-vessel-offshore-honolulu/

The 66-year-old Filipino captain of the 'Seaforce' has finally been fined 50,000 Euros for the discharge of around one million liters of scrubber wash water off Fos-Sur-Mer by the court in Marseille. He had claimed that the discharge in March 2023 was carried out without his knowledge, but the court stated that the captain was responsible for ensuring compliance. Initially, the charges against the captain had maximum possible penalty of 4000 Euros, but at a hearing in November 2023, the prosecutor's office reclassified the offense as pollution of the territorial waters with a maximum penalty of 100,000 Euros. The prosecutor's office also dismissed the claim of the captain being unaware of the discharge, stating that it was the captain's responsibility to ensure compliance on board.

On Oct 24, 2024, the 'Brillance of the Seas' suffered engine issues in Progresso, Mexico. Engineers fixed the technical issue, but the vessel was then waiting for another ship to dock next to it. The ship finally sailed at 1.30 p.m. and berthed in New Orleans on Oct 26.

On the morning of Oct 28, 2024, the Port Station of Mantoudi was informed, by the Master of the¨Agios Nektarios Aeginas', that before it set sail from the port of Kymasiou for the execution of its scheduled route to the ports of Skiathos, Glossa, Skopelos, Skiathos and Mantoudi, a damage occurred to the port side rudder. The Port Authority of Mantoudi banned the ferry from sailing until the presentation of class maintenance certificate by the monitoring classification society.

The 'BW Kestrel', en route from Pengerang to Merak, was boarded by two men, armed with machetes, at Medan Anchorage in pos. 3° 53.9' N 98° 48' E on Oct 17, 2024, at 02.15 a.m. The intruders stole unsecured items. The ship arrived in the port of destination on Oct 28.

The 'Nyon', en route from Cigading to Serramang, was boarded by five perpetrators, armed with knives, on Oct 18., 2024, at 12.55 a.m., approximately 4.6 nautical miles east of Pulau Karimun Kecil in pos. 1° 7.83' N 103° 30.33' E. Nothing was reported stolen. The ship berthed in Semarang on Oct 25.