Colombian navy stops 19 Cuban immigrants seeking to reach Panama
Xinhua, September 13, 2015 Adjust font size:
The Colombian Navy detained 19 Cuban migrants found on a boat in the country's Gulf of Uraba on Saturday.
The Cubans said they were seeking to reach Panamanian shores before making their way to the U.S., according to a press release from the Navy.
"The operation was carried out by rapid response units from the Uraba Coast Guard and the ARC 11 de Noviembre vessel, which was carrying out a patrol in the Uraba area," said the report.
The group of illegal migrants included four women and an elderly man, who were taken into care by the coast guard. Two Colombian citizens were also arrested as they were helping the group of Cubans sneak out of Colombia, which they had previously entered illegally.
The 19 Cubans and the two alleged people smugglers were checked out medically and rehydrated upon arrival at shore. The Cubans were then turned over to the authorities for processing.
In 2015, the Colombian navy has so far found 393 migrants in the Gulf of Uraba, noted the report. Endite