U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted an overcrowded vessel carrying hundreds of Haitian migrants en route to the United States.
At 2:45 p.m. on May 31, Air Interdiction Agents, who pilot airplanes and helicopters, detected a vessel about 65 nautical miles south of Turks and Caicos. The vessel, a 50-foot Haitian wooden boat, was heading north toward the islands.
On board were 240 migrants from Haiti “attempting an illegal maritime migration.”
At 9:08 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard reported the vessel was dead in the water. Turks and Caicos authorities declared a search and rescue case due to the risk of capsizing, according to CBP.
No injuries were reported.
“Our personnel helped prevent what could have been a catastrophic loss of life while stopping yet another illegal migration attempt,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said.
Of the 240 migrants onboard, there were 191 adult males, 44 adult females, and five minors. Turks and Caicos authorities helped intercept the vessel and ensured the passengers did not reach U.S. soil, according to CBP.
“The message remains clear: illegal maritime migration is dangerous, it is not worth the risk, and you will not gain entry into the U.S.,” Scott added.
The seizure reflects the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to secure the border and deter illegal immigration.
After assuming office, President Trump revoked the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrants living in the United States. The executive action is currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The White House is also ramping up efforts to stop migrants in their tracks.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Wednesday laid out a timeline for the completion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
In a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Mullin said DHS is on track to have a primary border wall stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of America completed by “this time next year.”
“On the border wall, first of all, we are on track to have the primary wall done, completed from the Pacific to the Gulf of America this time next year. We’ll have all contracts out by the end of this month. And we’re having great progress,” Mullin said.
Mullin stressed that cartels have learned how to breach and cut sections of the border wall, forcing the need for a secondary barrier to reinforce the primary wall and deter illegal crossings.
He predicted the second wall barrier would be completed by the summer of 2028.
