BASSETERRE, St Kitts – LAW enforcement agencies in the Turks and Caicos Islands intercepted a vessel carrying 240 migrants over the weekend.
According to a statement from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, the vessel was detected in the country's waters around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 31.
Police said the interception was carried out during a coordinated maritime operation involving the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and the TCI Border Force, with support from the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations.
Authorities said the vessel's condition and behaviour indicated it was in distress, prompting officials to elevate the operation to a critical incident.
Following the interception, the 240 migrants — comprising 191 adult males, 44 adult females, one male minor and four female minors — were safely brought ashore and transferred to border officials for processing and health screenings.
Commanding Officer of the TCI Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant, praised the coordinated response.
“The rapid transition of this operation from a standard interdiction task to a high-priority SOLAS intervention demonstrates the professionalism and readiness of our joint forces,” Grant said.
Up to news time, the police did not state where the migrants originated
