Disney Wonder
was heading from Miami to Grand Cayman when the group of suspected
migrants was spotted around 8 p.m. Saturday, according to a source with
knowledge of the incident.
The migrants were brought aboard the boat, which boasts "11 decks overflowing with restaurants, pools, recreation and more."
The
12 suspected migrants, who were all Cuban, were on a "rustic" vessel,
U.S. Coast Guard 7th District spokesman Jon-Paul Rios said. "Rustic" is a
term authorities use to describe dangerous, unseaworthy vessels, Rios
said.
The suspected migrants are being turned over to Grand Cayman authorities, Rios said.
Rios said it's unclear whether the migrants had been heading to the United States.
U.S. officials have noted an uptick in Cuban migrants trying to get to the United States
on land and by sea. One reason, experts say, is fear that days are
numbered for immigration policies welcoming Cubans into the United
States now that relations between the countries are warming.
Earlier this month officials in the Cayman Islands said more than 120 Cuban migrants had landed there since January.In 2013, the same Disney cruise ship picked up a group of eight migrants stranded on a raft about 45 miles from Key West.
At the time, Disney said it picked up that group at the request of the Coast Guard.
Source: CNN
No comments:
Post a Comment