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More Cubans caught trying to reach U.S.
MIAMI, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- The number of Cubans trying to reach the United States through the Florida Straits is at its highest level in more than a decade

The Coast Guard says it intercepted 1,499 Cubans before they could reach U.S. shores last year. Already this year, it has halted 2,251 Cubans at sea, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A Coast Guard spokesman attributes the higher numbers to increased vigilance by the Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security.

The Coast Guard moved two additional patrol boats to the Florida Keys this summer and increased both sea and aerial surveillance.

Planes and helicopters from the federal Customs and Border Protection service were also ordered to help. The Florida Highway Patrol is checking boats being towed south to see if they belong to potential smugglers.

At-sea interdictions now total more than in any single year since 1994, when more than 37,000 Cubans -- many using inner tubes or flimsy rafts -- risked the perilous journey to reach the United States, the newspaper said.