Coast Guard rescues 6 Cubans swimming near the coast of Boca Raton

Coast Guard rescues 6 Cubans swimming near the coast of Boca Raton

The Coast Guard rescued six Cuban migrants on Wednesday morning who were
spotted swimming near the coast of Boca Raton.
BY SERGIO N. CÁNDIDO
scandido@elnuevoherald.com

The Coast Guard rescued six Cuban migrants on Wednesday morning who were
spotted swimming near the coast of Boca Raton, the federal agency said.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Gannett spotted the Cubans in the
water around 9 a.m. — five of them with life jackets — about two miles
off the Florida coast, according to Marilyn Fajardo, a spokeswoman for
the Seventh Coast Guard District.

"They were found in good condition, some were a little dehydrated,"
Fajardo said.

Crews from Coast Guard Stations Lake Worth, Fort Lauderdale and Miami
have launched a search for two other Cubans who were part of their group
and disappeared at sea.

Fajardo said that so far they have not found the boat where the migrants
traveled.

Under current policy, known as wet foot/dry foot, Cubans without visas
who manage to touch U.S. soil are allowed to stay in the country while
those interdicted at sea are usually returned to the island.

In this case, the six Cubans remain on the Coast Guard cutter to be
interviewed by members of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) to determine if they qualify for asylum.

More than 100 Cuban rafters have managed to reach the shores of South
Florida within the past week.

Source: Coast Guard rescues 6 Cubans swimming near the coast of Boca
Raton | In Cuba Today - http://www.incubatoday.com/news/article90845502.html