U.S. Coast Guard Saves (And Detains) Two Migrants Who Jumped Off a Barge

 

A U.S. Coast Guard response team rescued two migrants who jumped into San Juan's harbor from a commercial barge, marking the latest in a series of incidents involving stowaways attempting to reach Puerto Rico.

The incident unfolded around mid-morning when a Coast Guard response vessel received an alert from the tug Southern Dawn's crew, who suspected that unwanted passengers might be concealed on board the barge, the Charlotte bridge. The migrants then leapt from the barge in an apparent escape attempt as the tow approached the port.

Coastguardsmen retrieved both of the men, handcuffed them and transferred them to shore, where immigration officials took them into custody. 

Commander Matt Romano, who oversees response operations for the regional maritime security command, emphasized the severe risks associated with such actions. "Attempting to board or abandon moving maritime vessels presents extreme peril," Romano stated, praising the effort that saved the two men while maintaining U.S. border controls.

Afterwards, multiple agencies carried out thorough inspections of the barge. Federal immigration enforcement, customs officers, criminal investigators, and local police searched it to make sure that no additional unauthorized passengers were still concealed.

San Juan Harbor has seen several episodes involving migrants hiding aboard commercial barges in recent years, and at least one incident in 2023 ended in a man-overboard situation, when three stowaways jumped off a barge under tow by the tug Sarah Dann. All would-be migrants face removal under federal policy, with repatriation either to their home nation or the place where they boarded as stowaways.