Coral Harbour Base, 09 APR. ‘18 (RBDF): A total of 50 Haitian migrants were returned to their country over the weekend after they were apprehended in Bahamian waters during a joint effort with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

After receiving information from a US Coast Guard aircraft of a 60 -foot Haitian sloop in the southern Bahamas on Friday 7th April, HMBS Kamalamee along with US Coast Guard Cutter RELIANCE were deployed to investigate.

The Haitian sloop was eventually intercepted by RELIANCE approximately 60 nautical miles west of Inagua.

The Coast Guard vessel was able to retrieve 50 migrants from the sloop before the sloop entered Cuban territorial waters where it was intercepted by Cuban authorities. The 50 migrants apprehended by RELIANCE were repatriated to Haiti by that vessel.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force continues to protect and safeguard the territorial waters of The Bahamas.