They intercept 7 rafters at sea and return them to Cuba (US Coast Guard Southeast – Twitter))

The United States Coast Guard intercepted seven Cuban rafters, all men, at sea this Friday and returned them to Cuba, according to a statement from the Coast Guard of the 7th Southeast District.

On Wednesday morning, a person alerted Miami Coast Guard Sector watchers that a rustic wooden and aluminum non-motorized vessel, with seven people on board, was adrift, approximately 35 miles east of West Palm Beach.

A Coast Guard auxiliary crew located the small boat and directed Coast Guard rescue team Richard Etheridge to the scene. The crew transferred the seven Cubans, who had left Havana six days earlier, to their boat.

Cubans detained at sea (US Coast Guard Southeast - Twitter)

Cubans detained at sea (US Coast Guard Southeast – Twitter)

On Thursday, the Cubans were transferred to the coast guard vessel Raymond Evans, who returned them to Cuba on Friday.

According to the report, the Cubans were in good health. While under US surveillance, they received basic medical care and food.

So far in fiscal year 2021, which began October 1, 2020, the Coast Guard has intercepted more than 90 Cuban migrants who have tried to enter US territory by sea, according to official data from the Coast Guard.

During the previous fiscal year, 49 Cuban returnees were registered. This figure represents the total number of landings and interruptions at sea in the Straits of Florida, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean.

“The Coast Guard and our agencies aggressively maintain a presence in the Florida Straits and discourage these dangerous and deadly trips,” said Lt. Commander Mario Gil, Coast Guard liaison officer at the US Embassy in Havana.

“It is the policy of the United States to carry out orderly, safe and legal migration, which we support by deterring illegal maritime migration,” he added.

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