RBDF apprehends yacht carrying 70 Haitian illegal migrants

RBDF apprehends yacht carrying 70 Haitian illegal migrants

A group of Haitian migrants are on the way to the capital after they were apprehended in Bahamian waters on Monday evening by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF). The 70 undocumented Haitian migrants aboard the sailing vessel, “ISLAND GIRL” were detained by HMBS Rolly Gray after being discovered by a defence force aircraft (P-68) out on routine patrol.

Commodore Tellis Bethel, commended the vigilant efforts of defence force, as well as US Coast Guard members, who had conducted an extensive joint operation to capture the vessel.

This incident is the first migrant apprehension for the year. Last year, the defence force apprehended or assisted in apprehending some 1,300 migrants including 14 foreign nationals from five countries aboard a motor yacht off Fort Montagu late last year. The vessel was believed to have been involved in a migrant smuggling operation. That case is ongoing before the court.