Five Cuban migrants drowned on Saturday after the shipwreck of the boat in which they were trying to reach the U.S. coast and in which a total of 19 people were traveling.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported Sunday the incident, in which nine people were rescued alive and five more are being sought.
«Teams are searching for five people about 50 miles off Little Torch Key after a group went to sea in a homemade boat that capsized during a failed migration adventure. Nine people were rescued, one person recovered deceased,» the Coast Guard initially reported on Twitter.
In a later message it confirms that «four people drowned immediately» after capsizing the boat. «Some of those rescued wore life jackets, which saved their lives in 2-2.5 meter deep seas and 50 kilometer per hour winds,» the Coast Guard has highlighted.
U.S. authorities have warned of the risk of the sea crossing between Cuba and the United States and have warned that those intercepted will be repatriated.
The Coast Guard has intercepted 2,005 Cubans since October 1, 2022. During 2021, 6,182 Cuban migrants were apprehended while attempting to reach the United States by sea.
