With this successful naval operation, 129 migrants have already been safeguarded in the Archipelago department this year.
About ten nautical miles from San Andrés islas, Coast Guard units of the Colombian Navy reported safeguarding the lives of 15 Chinese and two Vietnamese migrants, including a minor. They were traveling on an illegal boat from San Andrés island to Central America.
Thanks to the radars of the Maritime Traffic Control System, it was possible to identify the suspicious ship of Colombian registration named Man Of War, so in a timely manner a Rapid Reaction Unit - URR of the Coast Guard of San Andrés was deployed, in order to verify the situation.
When the maritime interception was carried out, it was found that the ship was illegal and did not have the minimum security conditions to go to sea and did not comply with current regulations, which is why it was taken by the crew of the Naval Institution to the main Coast Guard dock of San Andrés.
In safe harbor, the rescued people were put into custody of Migración Colombia, the captain of the boat and another crewman were arrested and put into custody of officials of the Attorney General's Office; the minor was assisted by the authorities in order to restore his rights.
“Our most important mission will always be to save lives. We reiterate the call to people to refrain from making this type of dangerous crossings to the open sea. Do not negotiate with criminals and do not expose yourself at sea, especially now that the hurricane season is starting in the Caribbean,” said the Commander of the Specific Command of San Andrés and Providencia, Ship Captain Carlos Eduardo Solano Prada.
Within the framework of the Ayacucho and Naval Bicentenary campaign plans, the Colombian Navy, through the Caribbean Naval Force, will continue to carry out sustained operations over time, disposing of its nautical security equipment and Naval resources, in order to counteract the irregular migration of people and deny sources of financing for illicit activities.
Source: Press – Navy of Colombia
