Dominicans continue to make dangerous covert trip to Puerto Rico

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Mon, Jan. 19, 2004

Dominicans continue to make dangerous covert trip to Puerto Rico
BY RAY QUINTANILLA
The Orlando Sentinel

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - (KRT) - The confounding winds in the Caribbean Sea have washed wayward ships onto these shores since the days of Christopher Columbus.

Last week, the same crosswinds steered eight rickety vessels, containing 178 people from the Dominican Republic, toward beaches on the western shores of Puerto Rico.

The Dominicans braved choppy seas in search of an opportunity to improve their lives. One woman, trying to flee approaching U.S. immigration authorities, jumped into the ocean and began swimming toward her destination rather than face authorities who sought to intercept her at sea.

Her body was later found near the coastal town of Aguadilla. Ironically, she washed ashore not far from where Columbus once landed.

In a development that has seemingly defied solution, the numbers of Dominicans making this same voyage continues to grow, according to U.S. Border Patrol.
(snip/...)

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/nation/7747969.htm

(I didn't know _Bush has our Border Patrol guarding Puerto Rico's shoreline.)

[Submariner]

1. I worked in PR the last 4 yrs

doing oceanography surveys off the coast. There wasn't a day I didn't see at least 2 Coast Guard helicopters, and at least one INS Blackhawk-type copter making the rounds along the shoreline.

That doesn't include the DEA drug sniffers in their cigarette boats and copters. Even though I was on well recognized (locally) Univ of PR research vessels, 1 out of 10 copters would come in low and close to hover and probably wonder what kind of we were hauling on board with our winch. Only to be when up came sediment grabs or fish traps.

To answer your query, yes chimpy has heavy border patrol in PR. Much more than I see in S. Florida.