U.S. Coast Guard rescues 33 Cuban migrants off Florida

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/29/us-usa-florida-migrants-idUSKBN0II1PV20141029

Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 33 Cuban migrants from an overloaded boat taking on water off the southeast Florida coast on Wednesday, two days after 11 Cubans were pulled from the waters off the coast of Miami, officials said.

Some of the 33 Cubans jumped in the water when they were spotted on Wednesday morning about 7 miles (11 km) east of Boca Raton, Florida, the Coast Guard said in a press release.

"Upon our assets arriving on scene, the suspected migrants were taken aboard Coast Guard smallboat and safely transferred to a Coast Guard Cutter for basic medical attention if needed," the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard spokesman Gabe Somma said: "They were spotted by a Coast Guard aircraft that was up there searching on the other migrant case."

[atreides1]

1. They have to go back?

Isn't the rule that Cubans have to get to land on their own in order to remain?

Just curious.

[Bacchus4.0]

2. I think so. Maybe they should have just applied for a visa, its easy I hear.

The Cuban gov needs to get the word out on how easy the visa application process and that many of the 20,000 alloted US visas go unfilled. Cuba needs to do more to prevent these types of tragedies, two are missing from the OP, since apparently rafting to the US is no longer necessary I hear.