The Coast Guard intercepts an overcrowded migrant ship near Turks and Caicos
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An overcrowded migrant boat carrying 240 people and taking on water has been seized near the Turks and Caicos Islands after authorities rushed to prevent a potential disaster at sea.
The US Coast Guard said it conducted a joint operation on Sunday with US Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) to stop a ship carrying hundreds of migrants who they say are Haitians.
According to a Coast Guard news release, authorities received a report of an “illegal immigration trip” about 15 miles south of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Video released by the coast guard shows crews assisting local authorities as they secure and tow away the overcrowded vessel.
TURKS AND CAICOS TRAVEL ALERT ISSUED AS VISITORS LAND AT POPULAR SPORTS VENUE
An overcrowded migrant boat carrying 240 people was spotted near the Turks and Caicos Islands over the weekend before authorities intervened. (US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott via X)
The Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force later intercepted the vessel and its passengers, the Coast Guard said.
More than 140 employees participated in the project, according to the agency.
“The successful interception and safe removal of these individuals from a dangerous situation was made possible by the close cooperation and rapid 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, in a statement.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE DRIVING US BEACHES AS THE COAST GUARD DEALES WITH IMMIGRANTS UNDER BIDEN
Coastal aviation crews helped guide ships responding to an overcrowded migrant boat carrying hundreds of people, officials said. (US Coast Guard)
“We strongly advise anyone who is considering participating in an illegal maritime migration effort to look into it,” Garcia continued. “These trips are extremely dangerous, often involving overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels that often take on water and lack basic life-saving equipment.”
Garcia encouraged would-be migrants to pursue “safe, legal, and orderly routes” rather than “risking their lives at sea.”
The Department of Public Security also responded with pictures of the project on social media.
COAST GUARD CUTTER INTERCEPTS BOAT WITH 16 MEXICANS ON COAST OF CALIFORNIA
Authorities said the vessel was taking on water and was in danger of sinking when responders arrived. (US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott via X)
“OUR TERMS ARE CLOSED,” the organization wrote on X. “Whether you travel by land or sea – if you try to enter our nation illegally, we will hunt you down and find you.”
US Defense and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott shared images from the blockade and praised the cooperation between the Coast Guard and its international partners.
“The overcrowded ship was taking on water and was in danger of sinking,” Scott wrote in X.
“Our personnel helped prevent a potentially catastrophic loss of life while stopping another illegal immigration attempt,” he continued. “The message remains clear: illegal immigration is dangerous, it’s not worth the risk, and you won’t get into the US.”
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Officials said the ship was carrying 240 people who they said were Haitians. (US Coast Guard)
The operation comes months after the Coast Guard and CBP seized several suspected smuggling vessels off the coast of California, which led to the arrest of 60 people from three boats.
Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.
