A group of 33 Haitian citizens who were recently apprehended for attempting to sail to the U.S. and illegally enter were deported Friday to face possible prosecution back home for drugs that were found aboard the boat they commandeered, according to the Coast Guard.
The Department of Homeland Security said Friday Coast Guard Cutter Spencer spotted a 25-foot-long motorboat in the water about 35 miles north of Tortuga, Haiti, early Monday. The Boston-based ship deployed a small crew to inspect the suspicious boat.
While on the way to the boat, the guardsmen noticed six softball-sized bundles floating in the water about 300 feet from the boat. The packages were seized and later tested positive for marijuana.
Once at the boat, the guardsmen found 27 adult Haitian men and six Haitian women, as well as three more packages of marijuana and one of amphetamines. The narcotics all tested positive.
All 33 migrants were taken into custody aboard the Coast Guard ship and given food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention, the agency said.
A Coast Guard spokeswoman in the Miami office said they have encountered several groups this size in recent months.
“The Coast Guard diligently patrols the Florida Straits and Caribbean Sea to ensure the safety of life at sea and the security of the United States,” Lt. Cmdr. James Hodges, District 7 response officer, said in a statement. “Neither illegal migration nor drug smuggling will be tolerated, and the Coast Guard will continue to enforce federal laws while maintaining a strong presence out on the water.”
The drugs were seized and destroyed by the Coast Guard.
