U.S. Border Patrol agents have apprehended 14 Haitian nationals who were abandoned by smugglers on Monito Island, an uninhabited natural reserve in Puerto Rico. This incident follows the rescue of 31 Haitians from the same location two weeks prior.
Reggie Johnson, Acting Chief Patrol Agent for Ramey Sector, emphasized the dangers of illegal entry and reliance on smugglers. "There are safe, orderly, and lawful paths to immigrate to the United States. There is no need to risk their lives traversing the Mona Passage in the hands of ruthless smugglers, only to arrive at our coast and face the legal consequences of unlawful entry," he stated. Johnson added that smugglers continue to spread false information and disregard migrant safety.
The presence of migrants on Monito Island was reported by Park Rangers from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources stationed on nearby Mona Island on September 28. The following day, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Joseph Tezanos rescued 14 Haitians—comprising five adult men, five adult women, and four minors—and transported them to Mayaguez Port of Entry for processing and removal proceedings by Ramey Station Border Patrol agents.
The Ramey Sector is one of twenty-one Border Patrol sectors across the United States and is unique as it covers U.S. territorial islands like Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands outside the continental U.S., with a jurisdiction spanning approximately 6,000 square miles of land and water area.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), America's largest law enforcement organization with over 65,000 personnel, is tasked with safeguarding borders through ground, air, and sea operations while facilitating lawful travel and trade.
