The US Coast Guard helped the Haitian Coast Guard stop about 70 Haitian migrants, on Sunday January 6, approximately 26 miles north of Cap Haïtien, Haiti.
At 1:30 a.m., the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant crew saw 40-foot Haitian freighter. The cutter Vigilant crew deployed a smallboat crew to question the people aboard.
After detection, the freighter changed course back south to Haiti. The cutter Vigilant crew continued to shadow the vessel while Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders contacted the Haitian Coast Guard. A Haitian Coast Guard marine unit arrived on scene at 9:30 a.m. and relieved the cutter Vigilant crew.
Capt. Aldante Vinciguerra, chief of response for the Coast Guard’s 7th District, commented:
The close cooperation between both U.S. Coast Guard and Haitian Coast Guard operational teams in this instance helped prevent a dangerous and ill-advised illegal migrant voyage from potentially capsizing and ending tragically as we unfortunately have seen happen recently
