Days after a man from Cuba was rescued about 15 miles off the Florida Keys stranded on a windsurf board, the Coast Guard said two more Cuban migrants set off early last week on a makeshift boat made from another surfboard — but haven’t been seen or heard from since.
MIAMI HERALD.- Both incidents are part of a major surge in maritime migration from both Cuba and Haiti that have the Coast Guard, Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection busier than they’ve been in years patrolling the waters leading to and surrounding South Florida.
Family members in the United States called the Coast Guard over the weekend to say the men left Cuba Tuesday on the homemade craft but had yet to arrive, said Petty Officer Jose Hernandez, an agency spokesman.
Since the Coast Guard hasn’t received any new information, it announced Monday that crews are no longer actively looking for the men pending new details that could help narrow their search.
“We haven’t seen anything,” Hernandez said.
On Monday, the Coast Guard released an update on Twitter stating that it still wants the public’s help in locating the vessel. It is described as a surfboard powered by a small motor and supported by pontoons on either side.
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