Nearly 200 Haitians captured at sea have been repatriated

Nearly 200 Haitians were repatriated to their homeland on Tuesday after the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted an overloaded vessel about 40 miles north of Cap-Haitien.

"The Coast Guard is committed to our mission to safeguard America by securing our maritime borders and preventing illegal entry into the U.S and its territories," Cory Arsenault, Coast Guard liaison officer to U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, said in a statement.

"Anyone attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea will be interdicted and repatriated, consistent with United States law and policy."

Coast Guard officials have repatriated 603 Haitians since Oct. 1, 2024, compared to 857 Haitians the previous fiscal year.