19 Cuban migrants come ashore in Marathon, official says

Migrant boat (@USBPChiefMIP)

MARATHON, Fla. – Officials took 19 Cuban migrants into custody Thursday morning after their homemade boat came ashore in Marathon, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar, who heads the Border Patrol’s Miami sector, said the group consisted of 16 men and three women.

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The migrants will be processed for removal proceedings, he said.

Slosar tweeted a brief video of the small, light yellow-green boat the migrants arrived on, which had the name “El Triunfador” (”The Winner”) hand-painted on its side.

Less than a week before Thursday’s landing, a Cuban migrant vessel capsized in the Straits of Florida, killing at least two and leaving five people missing.

U.S. Coast Guard crews have intercepted more than 3,700 migrants at sea this fiscal year, amid an upsurge in migration from the economically-distressed island.


About the Author:

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.