More than 140 Haitian migrants were picked up on a Haitian sloop in waters off Ragged Island on Saturday, authorities reported. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force spotted the Haitian sloop west of Ragged Island on Saturday evening. The migrants were expected to be transferred to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre yesterday. This is the latest in a series of apprehensions in the past few months. Last week, the defense force arrested eight Cuban migrants who were found aboard a makeshift vessel in waters off West End, Grand Bahama.

In July, more than 40 Haitian migrants were taken into custody after they were found on a sloop in waters off Warderick Wells Cay, Exuma. In June, nearly 100 Haitian migrants were apprehended after they were taken off a sloop that later sank in waters off Staniel Cay, Exuma. Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said in April The Bahamas was dealing with a "deluge of illegal migrants". That month, nearly 200 Haitian migrants were apprehended in separate incidents in the span of a week. The defense force said it has apprehended nearly 1,000 migrants for the year who attempted to illegally enter the country.

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