Coast Guard: More migrants with records nabbed in Caribbean
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The number of apprehensions of migrants with criminal records trying to illegally re-enter the U.S. after being deported has increased in the Caribbean, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday.
The recent uptick has authorities concerned, said Rear Admiral Peter Brown, the newly appointed commander for the Coast Guard’s 7th District, which covers the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S.
“Smugglers are exploiting the route with whatever will profit them, and in this case, it’s these criminal elements,” he told The Associated Press while on a brief official trip to Puerto Rico. “These are dangerous and violent criminals who are trying to get back into the United States presumably to resume a criminal career.”
Many of those migrants are trying to illegally re-enter the United States from the Bahamas via boat, or attempting to enter the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico from nearby islands such as the British Virgin Islands, he said.