Thread: Cuban migrant dies in high-speed dash to Florida

Cuban migrant dies in high-speed dash to Florida
Coast Guard stops boat loaded with 31 migrants

Saturday, July 8, 2006; Posted: 6:43 p.m. EDT (22:43 GMT)


The Coast Guard chases the boat carrying 31 Cuban migrants.
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High-speed Coast Guard chase (2:07)
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Manage Alerts | What Is This? MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A woman died after the Coast Guard chased and captured a speedboat carrying 31 Cuban migrants and three suspected immigrant smugglers about 4 miles off the coast of Boca Chica, Florida, on Saturday, the Coast Guard said.

The incident began about 6:30 a.m. when the Coast Guard gave chase to a "grossly overloaded" 36-foot boat, moving fast and without proper navigational lights, according to a Coast Guard statement. It was about 39 miles south of Key West.

The boat's driver ignored numerous orders to stop and tried to ram a pursuing Coast Guard boat more than five times, forcing the Coast Guard to fire at its three engines, the statement said. (Watch the Coast Guard force the speeding boat to a halt -- 2:07)

"A crewman from one of the two pursuing Coast Guard boats applied two shots of disabling fire to the engines of the fleeing vessel to finally stop it and rescue the migrants," the statement said.

The Coast Guard said no one was injured by the gunfire.

Once aboard the ship, the Coast Guard crew found a woman with severe facial bruises and head injuries. She was evacuated to Key West for medical attention but died en route, authorities said. She was pronounced dead at 8:34 a.m.

An autopsy is planned for Sunday, and the Coast Guard will release results, according to Michael Hunter, chief medical examiner for Monroe County, Florida.

"This was a horrific voyage for these migrants and has resulted in a tragedy," Capt. Phil Heyl, commander of Coast Guard Sector Key West, said in a statement. "The family and friends of the dead woman have our deepest sympathy."

Other migrants on the boat, including a pregnant woman and three men, also received medical attention.

Heyl blamed the injuries on the "ruthless smugglers," who speeded an overloaded boat through the choppy water.

"There was no way for these people to brace themselves against the impact of the boat slamming into the rough seas," Heyl said in the statement.

The U.S. Attorney's office is reviewing the incident.

"Smugglers often treat migrants as if they were human cargo, with blatant disregard for individual life and safety," said T. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. "Today yet another life was lost."

blamed the injuries on the "ruthless smugglers," who speeded an overloaded boat through the choppy water

Sigh. This is so typical. I wrote this in my story:

Here in Miami, we have a situation with the 'Wet Foot, Dry Foot' Act, part of the Cuban Adjustment Act, an insane situation which encourages criminality. It encourages smuggling, so we have 3 sets of criminals. The person who pays the smuggler; the smuggler and the people who KNOW they're being smuggled. Then, when the Cuban steps on US land, they get to stay! Absurd!

So, for the death and injuries in this incident, IMO, the fault lies, first, with the people who CHOSE to commit an illegal act...being smuggled. Secondly, I fault the smugglers, who crowded 31 people, (plus 3 smugglers!) into a 36 ft. boat...refused to obey the Coast Guard and stop when ordered to, and tried in rough seas to outrun the Coast Guard. #3, Who paid the smugglers?... They're also guilty. #4 The irresponsible gov't lawBreakers who made the 'wet foot, dry foot' policy.

Yes, I understand that Cuba is a communist nation. Most of the people coming now are coming for economic reasons. I've heard, myself, and have posted elsewhere on this site, a new Cuban smuggelee being coached to "never say a good job, say 'freedom' ".

IMO, Castro likes having us as a safety valve. Unhappy folk come here. Then they don't fight him.