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Coast Guard Watching For Mass Haitian Exodus
Reporting David Sutta
MIAMI (CBS4) ―

The big concern for the U.S. Coast Guard in the days and weeks following the devastating January earthquake in Haiti was if they would see a mass exodus. So far, they haven't; but that doesn't mean the Coast Guard hasn't been busy intercepting Haitians at sea.

The first video has surfaced of the US Coast Guard returning Haitian migrants fleeing earthquake ravaged Port-Au-Prince. The video, shot by the Coast Guard shows the migrants are being handed over to Haitian authorities.

The first wave of Haitians taking to the high seas were intercepted on February 6. Thirteen miles west of Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas, the Royal Bahamian Defence found 78 Haitians clinging to a thirty foot freighter. The boat made of wood and a homemade sail looks similar to ones used years ago in another exodus.

Lt. Commander Matt Moorlag with the US Coast Guard told CBS4's David Sutta, "Some of these vessels are very overloaded. It's a real safety issue for everyone. We don't want to see any further loss of life and we also have U.S. law to uphold as well."

Amazingly the group almost made it half way to South Florida before being detected. Since then, the U.S. Coast Guard has shifted their focus from humanitarian aid to now border patrol.

"We don't see any signs that there are any sort of imminent mass migration likely from Haiti," Moorlag said. "We are alert to the possibility that there could be increased migration in the future and we are taking preventative measures to respond."

The beefed up patrols appear to be working. Last Saturday, another group of Haitians made an attempt for the United States. This group did not make it as far, just 45 miles north of Isle de Tortue in Haiti. The interdictions are not sitting well with Haitian Americans.

Jeanot Duchan, a former translator for the U.S. Coast Guard, is now helping his countrymen apply for temporary protective status. After seeing these migrations first hand, he worries there could be more "suicide missions."

"A little boat made out of wood floating on the water. In high seas it flips over," said Duchan. "Somebody must be really desperate to come here and risk their life like that. That's how desperate they are now."