The US Coast Guard nabbed three suspected gangbangers aboard a migrant ship headed for American soil — who were sought for a 2020 shooting in Puerto Rico that left four people dead.
The migrant ship was spotted by a US Customs and Border Enforcement plane and intercepted by the Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser in the Mona Passage on Friday, officials said.
The three suspects were taken into custody and turned over to a Dominican Republic navy ship, the Coast Guard said in a press release on Tuesday.
“Our strong partnerships and daily collaboration between all federal partner agencies involved in this case as well as Dominican Republic Navy and Dominican law enforcement authorities resulted in the safe repatriation of five migrants and the apprehension of three wanted U.S. citizens,” said Lt. Vincente Garcia, Coast Guard liaison to the Dominican Republic.
“These efforts are instrumental to achieving regional stability and safeguarding our nation’s southernmost maritime border from dangers and threats associated with unlawful migration and other prevalent illicit maritime activity,” Garcia added.
The Coast Guard did not release the names of the suspects.
The maritime enforcement agency has intercepted 932 migrants trying to get to the US through the Mona Passage, the stretch of water between Puerto Rico and the island of Hispaniola.
Of those, 890 were Dominican, 41 Haitians and one Venezuelan, the Coast Guard said.
In one weekend alone earlier this month, 101 migrants trying to reach the US illegally were cut off by the Coast Guard and extradited back to their countries.
More recently, the Coast Guard intercepted 16 Cuban migrants trying to reach Florida on a rickety handmade boat — among the 384 migrants from the socialist island who were picked up since Oct. 1.
