Border Patrol Agents Bust Six Dominicans Boating to Puerto Rico

During the recovery following Hurricane Maria, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a group of illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic after they sailed to the island on a small boat.

The Border Patrol agents worked with Puerto Rico police to apprehend six Dominican nationals who risked their lives to sail to the U.S. territory in a 20-foot boat with a 30-horse motor. The illegal aliens will be returned to the Dominican Republic after processing, according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

“Even while we partake in the recovery process after the hurricane, our Border Patrol Agents and our partners remain vigilant to deter smuggling attempts into Puerto Rico’s coast, stated Ramiro Cerrillo, Chief Patrol Agent for the Ramey Sector. “We maintain a robust posture and through the Operation Stonegarden grant, we expand our reach and capabilities to respond.”

The agents arrived at a beach where they discovered a small fiberglass and wood boat. The illegal aliens abandoned the craft, called a “yolas” (unsafe vessel), on the beach after making the dangerous 70-mile trip from their home nation.

The agents worked with the Aguada Municipal Police to find the six men who fled the scene. Agents arrested and transported them to the Ramey Station for processing and deportation proceedings.

Officials said human traffickers often use the “yolas” to transport more people than the tiny boats can safely carry. “A typical “yola” is an unsafe vessel, generally underpowered with a single outboard motor, and overloaded with a large number of passengers and without life vests,” CBP officials stated. “Every year CBP receives both confirmed and unconfirmed reports of aliens drowning while in transit to United States territory.”