C.B.P. News Release

Increased Illegal Migrant Traffic through Mona Passage Expected

Border Patrol to Increase Enforcement Strategies

(Monday, November 24, 2008)

Aguadilla, P.R. – The Ramey Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol traditionally experiences an increase, during the next two months, of illegal migrant traffic between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

To discourage the projected surge, the Border Patrol, along with its Caribbean Border Interagency Group partners, will escalate its multi-layered enforcement strategies throughout the coastal areas of the island.

This concentrated effort has yielded a 42 percent reduction in illegal migrant activity through the Mona Passage over the past two years. Nonetheless, there is a tendency for the quantity of smuggling attempts, landings and apprehensions to go up during the months of December and January.

The anticipated increase for this period is associated with, among other reasons, holiday season travel and the current economic recession affecting the Caribbean region.

Historically, many aliens from the Dominican Republic, have taken one-way commercial flights back to their country from the United States for the holiday season, attempting later to return on-board small wooden boats, known as “yolasâ€