Dominican Navy intercepts five Chinese nationals and two Haitian nationals in Miches
The Navy detained seven migrants in the municipality of Miches as they attempted to cross the Mona Passage towards Puerto Rico. The organisers of the illegal voyage managed to escape.
Seven migrants detained in Miches whilst attempting illegal crossing to Puerto Rico
The Dominican Navy on Tuesday 15 September thwarted an attempted clandestine transport of people on the coasts of the municipality of Miches, El Seibo province. According to infobae.com, a joint operation by naval and land units intercepted seven foreign nationals in the vicinity of Río Mojica.
Those detained are three women and two men of Chinese nationality, along with two men of Haitian origin. The group was attempting to cross the Mona Passage, a maritime route of approximately 130 kilometres separating the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic from western Puerto Rico, described by military navigation experts as one of the most dangerous sea passages in the world.
Organisers fled; investigation ongoing
The land and maritime patrols managed to surround the area and intercept the seven foreigners before they could board the vessel. However, the organisers and the captain of the boat escaped. The authorities are intensifying searches in the region to locate them.
The Navy stated that the operation is part of strengthened maritime interception patrols and information exchange with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in Puerto Rico. Through these mechanisms of bilateral cooperation, combined interceptions are conducted in international waters.
Sustained pressure on trafficking networks
The arrest in Miches is not an isolated incident. In the 48 hours prior, the Dominican Navy had already neutralised five additional attempts at clandestine departure, with the detention of 89 people. Naval forces are maintaining constant operational pressure on networks engaged in human trafficking and smuggling along the eastern coastline of the country.
Military authorities warned of the risks of crossing the sea in vessels without minimum navigation conditions: the lack of life jackets and the unpredictable currents of the Mona Passage turn this route into a deadly trap. They also recalled that Dominican laws establish severe prison sentences for organisers, financiers and collaborators of these illicit voyages.
Chinese migrants, signal of more complex networks
The presence of Chinese nationals among those detained reflects, according to authorities, the growing complexity of international human trafficking in the Caribbean. Trafficking networks choose the Dominican route to Puerto Rico because of the political status of this island, a United States territory, which makes the destination a gateway to what is called the "American dream".
Source: Google News DO — Crime