Coast Guard Rescues, Repatriates 125 Haitian Migrants

MIAMI (CBS4) — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard said it repatriated 125 Haitian migrants to Cap Haitien, Haiti, Thursday.

A Coast Guard Air Station Miami aircrew located a sail freighter north of Cape Du Mole, Haiti, Tuesday. The aircrew vectored in the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Reliance, who distributed lifejackets to the 125 Haitian migrants on the grossly overloaded vessel and embarked them aboard the cutter.

"The Coast Guard strongly advises against taking to sea in an attempt to illegally enter the United States," said Capt. Eduardo Pino, 7th Coast Guard District chief of response. "Taking to sea in a grossly overloaded vessel with little or no safety gear needlessly places human lives at risk. The Coast Guard will continue to rescue Haitian migrants from their peril at sea and will always do so in a humanitarian and professional manner that preserves the dignity of all people."

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants are provided with food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.

The Reliance is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Kittery, Maine.

For information about how to legally immigrate to the United States, call U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at 1-800-375-5283 or visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.