MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted 191 Haitians overnight Tuesday about 40 miles off the coast of the Bahamas.
In a news release, the agency said the Haitians were found around 1 a.m. Tuesday on board an overloaded sail freighter.
Coast Guard crews brought the Haitians on board two rescue boats and gave them food, water, medical care, and life jackets.
"The Coast Guard maintains a persistent presence patrolling the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, to help prevent loss of life on the high seas," said Lt. David Steele, Coast Guard liaison officer for the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. "These grossly overloaded vessels operate without proper safety equipment and are not built for these hazardous voyages.”
The Coast Guard said it's rescued 802 Haitians since Oct. 1, 2021.