US Border Patrol says it has detained 46 Haitian migrants who arrived by boat

US Border Patrol says it has detained 46 Haitian migrants who arrived by boat in Puerto Rico

By The Associated Press June 7, 2013 11:10 AM

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The U.S. Border Patrol has detained another large group of Haitian migrants in Puerto Rico.

Spokesman Edwin Millan says 46 men and women were taken into custody Friday by the Border Patrol after landing on a beach on the island's west coast. Millan says some were dehydrated after their journey in a 30-foot open boat but otherwise in good health.

Haitians have fled their impoverished country by boat for years but an increasing number appear to have been making their way to Puerto Rico. In recent months, authorities have detained several hundred on suspicion of entering the U.S. territory illegally, typically paying up to $1,500 each for trip from the Dominican Republic. Once in Puerto Rico, they often seek to evade passport controls to reach the mainland.

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