U.S. Coast Guard Returns Five Cuban Rafters Rescued by Commercial Ship to Cuba

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) recently returned five Cuban rafters to Cuba after they were rescued by a commercial vessel in the Yucatán Channel the previous week. According to a statement released on their digital platforms, the USCG reported that on Wednesday, May 14, a commercial ship's crew informed the Seventh District Coast Guard agents that they had taken on board five Cuban nationals from a "precarious vessel."

On Saturday, the USCG cutter Isaac Mayo met with the commercial ship to take custody of the five individuals, pending their future disposition. Although not explicitly stated by the USCG, it appears that these were the same five individuals rescued earlier by the Carnival Paradise cruise ship, operated by Carnival Cruise Line. They were found in distress on a small boat south of Cape San Antonio, at the western tip of Cuba.

An earlier statement by Carnival disclosed that the five individuals rescued were part of a larger group traveling on the same vessel. However, the other rafters declined to board the cruise ship, although they were provided with water and food before continuing their journey. Their current whereabouts remain unknown.

The official communication from Carnival did not specify the identity or nationality of those assisted but did mention that the U.S. Coast Guard was alerted and coordinated the transfer. Following the rescue, the Carnival Paradise resumed its scheduled route to Jamaica, adhering to international maritime protocols for assisting those in distress at sea.

In a statement released this Tuesday, the USCG highlighted that, since the beginning of fiscal year 2025 (FY 2025) on October 1, their crews have repatriated 103 migrants to Cuba. This is in contrast to the 749 individuals intercepted and returned during fiscal year 2024, and the 6,618 in 2023. The USCG emphasized that "anyone attempting to migrate illegally by sea will be intercepted and returned to their country of origin or departure, in accordance with U.S. law and policy."

Lieutenant Cameron Box, an officer with the Seventh District of the USCG, cautioned potential migrants, "Do not risk your life at sea only to be repatriated and denied legal entry into the United States in the future." The number of Cuban rafters repatriated by the USCG in the past eight months indicates a significant decrease in the migratory flow from the island through the Florida Straits in FY 2025.

Moreover, a report from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed a sharp decline in irregular Cuban migration to the U.S. in March, with only 132 unauthorized entries recorded. The toughening of immigration policies under President Donald Trump's administration has significantly influenced the behavior of those seeking to leave Cuba amid a severe and ongoing economic and social crisis.

While the underlying causes of Cuban migration, such as the economic crisis characterized by shortages of essential goods, inefficient basic services, inflation, repression, lack of freedoms, and social insecurity, persist, pathways to the United States have become increasingly inaccessible. Despite this, some Cubans still view a perilous maritime journey or crossing land borders into the U.S. as their only escape, risking their lives in the process.

Reports of Cuban rafters reaching Mexican shores or being rescued from shipwrecks in the Gulf or Caribbean Sea have been frequent in recent months. Just this past Sunday, eight Cubans—six men and two women—were detained by Mexican authorities after arriving at the port of El Cuyo in the state of Yucatán, following the sinking of their vessel.