Coast Guard suspends search for 10 migrants in waters west of Puerto Rico

San Juan.- The U.S. Coast Guard of San Juan reported this Friday that it has suspended the maritime search for ten migrants who had disappeared in the waters of the Mona Passage, west of the island, when a violent fight between two of them caused the occupants to abandon the vessel.

“Our hearts go out to the families of those missing following this tragic shipwreck in the Mona Passage,” said Commander Matthew Romano, Coast Guard Sector San Juan response chief and search and rescue mission coordinator for this case, in a statement.

According to the authorities, the makeshift vessel capsized last Sunday around 11:00 p.m. local time (3:00 GMT), after a fight broke out and several people were seriously injured with a machete, which forced the occupants to jump into the water and attempt to swim to Mona Island.

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Of the group of 62 migrants, 49 were rescued and transported to shore by the vessel ‘Joseph Doyle’ so that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could take charge of them for a more thorough investigation.

“These lives were saved on the brink of tragedy thanks to the heroic, tireless, and coordinated actions of the brave crew of a good Samaritan, along with our dedicated U.S. air, sea, and land assets, and our partners from the Dominican Republic Air Force and Navy,” highlighted Romano.

The bodies of three migrants were handed over to the authorities of the Institute of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico.

Romano detailed that air and surface units conducted searches for 78 consecutive hours, covering more than 2,000 square nautical miles, an area more than half the size of Puerto Rico.

Initial reports indicated that the majority of the passengers are citizens of the Dominican Republic, along with at least two Haitians.

HSI, in addition, is investigating the criminal nature of this case and will continue efforts to confirm the names and nationalities of all individuals involved.