Among those rescued are an adult and three minors of Colombian nationality, as well as three adults and a minor of Vietnamese nationality.
During maritime patrol, control and surveillance activities, the Colombian Navy detected a suspicious ship sailing approximately eight nautical miles (14 kilometers) south of the island of San Andrés, in which eight irregular migrants were rescued who were apparently heading towards the coasts of Central America.
A Rapid Reaction Unit - URR of the Coast Guard Station of San Andrés, identified the boat named El 7 mares, with eleven people on board: four adults and four minors of Colombian and Vietnamese nationality, as well as three crew members driving the boat, a Colombian and two Nicaraguans.
Once the procedure was completed, the staff was transported 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. The three crew members of the boat were arrested for the alleged crime of migrant smuggling, established in article 188 of the Colombian Criminal Code.
It should be noted that the meteorological conditions in the department of the Archipelago are not favorable during this time of the year, presenting cloudy weather with a high probability of rains and reporting winds of up to 20 knots (37 km /h), a situation that puts at risk the lives of those who undertake their journey in these illegal boats, which do not provide the minimum safety measures established for navigation.
Source: Press – Navy of Colombia
