Among those rescued are 10 adults and two minors of Venezuelan nationality, as well as an adult of Colombian nationality.
In 2024, 165 migrants have been rescued in the Archipelago department.
During maritime control and surveillance activities, the Colombian Navy, jointly with the Colombian Aerospace Force, detected a suspicious ship sailing approximately 4.5 nautical miles (eight kilometers) south of the island of San Andrés.
Immediately, the Coast Guard Station of San Andrés deployed a Rapid Reaction Unit to the referenced point, where the boat named Ocean Girl was found, with fifteen people on board.
At the time of making the respective search, it was possible to establish that there were 13 people in an irregular migration condition, including 12 Venezuelans and a Colombian, as well as two crew members of Nicaraguan nationality, who apparently were in charge of taking them to Central America.
Once their health status was verified, the staff was taken to the dock of the Coast Guard Station of San Andrés and put into custody of the authorities. The minors were handed over to the Colombian Institute of Family Wellbeing - ICBF for the restoration of their rights.
It should be noted that irregular migration by sea represents a high risk, because it is carried out without taking into account the minimum safety conditions for navigation. In the same way, being an illegal activity, it is carried out without informing routes or schedules to the authorities, which hinders search and rescue efforts when emergencies arise; migrants are then abandoned without any consideration for their life.
Source: Press – Navy of Colombia
