Oil tanker rescues 8 Cubans after shipwreck near the Cayman Islands

Eight Cuban raftists were rescued by an oil tanker after their vessel sank near the Cayman Islands in late November, according to a report on Monday from the Customs and Border Protection Service (CBC).

On November 28, at around 1:45 p.m., the vessel carrying the Cuban immigrants was sinking 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers) northeast of Grand Cayman when it was spotted by a nearby oil tanker, whose crew alerted the Cayman Islands Coast Guard (CICG), said CBC in a press release.

The migrants, all men, were brought aboard the ship, safe and sound.

The captain of the tanker adhered to international maritime laws and related obligations. While coordinating and cooperating with the CICG and the CBC, the Cubans were transferred from the ship and subsequently transported by the Coast Guard to the port of George Town, authorities stated.

The eight men were handed over to the CBC's Mass Migration Section for processing, the statement indicated.

The information about the rescue of the shipwrecked individuals was not made public until this Monday, 11 days after the incident.

In this announcement, the Cayman Islands Customs Service also disclosed in another statement the repatriation of 16 Cuban migrants back to the island, through two separate operations carried out by the agency.

On November 22, four migrants from Cuba were repatriated to their country via an aerial flight operated by Cayman Airways.

A week later, in a second air operation led by the CBC with the collaboration of officials from the Penitentiary Service (HMCIPS), another 12 Cubans were repatriated.

Although the Cayman authorities did not confirm it, the raft migrants rescued on November 28 may have been returned to Cuba on this second flight.

The group included an individual who was on probation for criminal sanctions at the time of leaving the country, as reported by the official newspaper Granma. The note warned that the individual would be brought before the relevant courts for a possible revocation of that benefit.

The statement released this Monday by the Cayman Islands Customs Service also includes remarks from its director, Bruce Smith, in which he expressed gratitude to the agency's officials and the migration management team "for their dedicated efforts in managing and organizing the successful repatriation flights."

Smith stated that "their commitment has been crucial in ensuring a smooth transition for people, especially with the greater efficiency brought by the regulations of 2022, which significantly reduced processing times."

In recent years, many Cuban rafters have reached that British overseas territory on their journey to Mexico, where they aim to continue their travel overland to the U.S. border and apply for asylum in that country.

The authorities of the Cayman Islands operate a detention center where irregular Cuban migrants are held before being repatriated to the island.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Rescue and Repatriation of Cuban Migrants