9 Cubans Found in Water Off Delray Beach

Cubans spotted with small raft a mile and a half from shore

A group of nine Cubans were found in the waters off Delray Beach Thursday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The people were spotted about a mile and a half from shore with a small raft by a good Samaritan who tried to assist them, the Coast Guard said.

Six of the Cubans were swimming while three were still on the raft, the Coast Guard said.

After refusing to get on Coast Guard rafts, the nine migrants were picked up by a Boca Raton Police  boat and transported onto a Coast Guard cutter to likely face extradition. The dramatic interception happening a day after two other groups of migrants were discovered in Palm beach county. 

"The most probable scenario is that they were smuggled into the Bahamas and then at that point a criminal organization received payment to smuggle them into the US," said Frank Miller, spokesman for Border Patrol.

On Wednesday,  officials found the nine migrant on the beach near the Palm Beach Country Club and also located the body of a young girl believed to be between 14 and 16 years old. .

Hours later another group of migrants, two Jamaicans and three Haitians were discovered on shore near the Jupiter inlet and taken into custody by border patrol agents. Officials say this latest wave of migrants trying to make it to the u.s. by boat or raft is not unusual during the summer months.
 

More Local Stories:

Contact Us