MIAMI — Soon after 11 migrants set out from Cuba to cross the Florida Straits, their raft capsized and the group lost their food, water and medication, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
When they finally made it to the waters off Alligator Reef Light in Islamorada on Saturday, there were only 10 people alive. One man died during the voyage.
This was one of two migrant boats stopped in the waters off the Florida Keys in the past week. On Monday, 21 people were repatriated to Cuba.
"The dangers of traveling through the Florida Straits cannot be overstated," said Chief Warrant Officer Matt James, commanding officer of Station Islamorada. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the man who died as a result of losing critical medicine for a reported preexisting condition during the capsizing."
The Coast Guard was alerted to the raft by a good Samaritan at 8 a.m. Saturday. The son of the man who died told Coast crews that his dad had died on the voyage.
The second interdiction happened on May 18. In that case, a good Samaritan alerted the Coast Guard in Key West that there was a 16-foot raft with 11 people off Marathon. The good Samaritan gave the migrants life jackets, food and water.
Since Oct. 1, 2020, when the fiscal year began, the Coast Guard has interdicted 250 Cubans. Last fiscal year, the Coast Guard repatriated 49 Cuban migrants.
