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23
Cubans are repatriated
Florida
Keys Keynoter, FL. October
8, 2003.
Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Nantucket
repatriated 23 Cuban migrants - and one white
miniature poodle - to Bahia de Cabanas, Cuba,
at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The migrants were from four
seperate groups picked up since Thursday.
One group, consisting of 12 migrants and the
dog, was rescued from a raft 50 miles south of
Key West after being spotted by a U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement aircraft at 11:43 p.m.
Friday. Six from the group, along with the dog,
were repatriated. The disposition for the remaining
six is pending.
The Coast Guard said two of the migrants were
on a go-fast operated by smugglers stopped by
a crew from Coast Guard Station Key West Saturday
at 1:39 a.m. The suspected smugglers were transfered
to federal authorities.
Seven migrants were interdicted Thursday at 7:45
p.m. by a crew from Coast Guard Station Key West.
The group was found 35 miles south of Key West
by a patrolling HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter
from Air Station Miami. Six of the seven were
repatrated. Disposition of the seventh migrant
is pending.
The final nine migrants were rescued from a raft
after being spotted by a patrolling HU-25 Falcon
jet from Coast Guard Air Station Miami at 8:20
p.m. Saturday.
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