Five Migrants Found Dead on Mona Island in Latest Tragic Crossing
Puerto Rico Park Rangers found five bodies on Mona Island on Thursday, while 66 survivors—including two minors—were safely ashore, the US Coast Guard confirmed.
Smugglers forced migrants off the boat, leading to the drowning deaths, said Jeffrey Quinones of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The fleeing boat’s passenger count remains unknown.
Majority of Migrants Believed to Be Haitians
CBP officials say most of those involved are Haitians fleeing escalating gang violence and kidnappings back home. Many aim to reach the US, often via dangerous Caribbean sea routes.
Since March 2020, pandemic-era rule Title 42 has blocked most asylum claims at the US southern border, resulting in many Haitians being deported back to crisis-hit Haiti.
Deadly Journeys Continue Across Caribbean Waters
- Just days earlier, Bahamas authorities found 17 migrant bodies and rescued 25 after a boat capsized.
- In May, 11 Haitian women drowned near Puerto Rico after their boat overturned; dozens were saved.
- In March, a wooden boat carrying 300 Haitians capsized off Florida, with many needing medical help.
The US Coast Guard deployed two helicopters and two patrol boats to the Mona Island scene, a key smuggling hotspot between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Joel Seijo, spokesman for Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, warned smugglers often dump migrants on Mona Island, falsely convincing them they are already in Puerto Rico.
