The Mexican Navy (SEMAR) located this Thursday the boat carrying 19 Cuban migrants, including seven minors, who had been missing since August 11 after departing from Pinar del Río en route to Mexican territory.
"They have already rescued the Cubans. They are on their way to the Naval Command," confirmed a source from the Mexican Navy to the AFP agency, as reported by Martí Noticias.
The discovery ends more than a week of uncertainty for the families, who had issued desperate calls due to the lack of news and the fear that the occupants might have run out of food and fuel at sea.
The Cubans were found in waters near the jurisdiction of the Ninth Naval Zone, based in Yucatán, after the Navy launched an operation to locate the vessel.
This Thursday, the SEMAR ordered the departure of a Defender-type vessel, used in search and rescue operations, as part of the efforts to locate the migrants.
More than a week without news
The vessel had departed on August 11 from the Cuyo area in Pinar del Río, with 12 adults and seven minors on board. Since then, their families lost contact with the travelers.
The information received by the families indicated an increasingly dangerous situation: mechanical issues, fuel loss, and an attempt to continue the journey under sail.
Yunaidy Martínez Ramírez, a resident of Cancún, had her husband and three young children among the missing.
"In the boat is my entire family. It's a vessel that was in good condition, but one of the engines broke down and then they ran out of fuel more than halfway through because it spilled. The boatman said they would try to sail... They had food, but after so many days, I fear they may have nothing left," she recounted to Martí Noticias while awaiting news about her loved ones.
Among the seven minors were also the two-year-old twins Leosdel and Leosniel, who were traveling with their mother, Yusimy Garrobo Leiva, 35 years old.
The children's father, Leobel, had been working in construction in Mexico for almost a year and was looking forward to reuniting there with his wife and children. Days before the rescue, he told Univision that he had received information about mechanical failures and fuel issues before contact with the vessel was completely lost.
The Mexican Navy had alerted its rescue units
On August 17, the Permanent Guard of the V Naval Region, based in Isla Mujeres, confirmed that the search and rescue naval stations under its jurisdiction had been alerted about the disappearance.
"The search and rescue naval stations in the jurisdiction have been put on alert by RN 5, waiting to gather more information about the case," an officer noted at that time.
Finally, this Thursday the vessel was located and its 19 occupants were rescued.
Until the first reports on the rescue, Mexican authorities had not officially reported on the health conditions of the Cubans, so it was still unknown whether any of them needed medical attention after being at sea for more than a week.
Another dangerous journey from Cuba
The rescue takes place just days after another tragedy related to irregular departures from western Cuba.
On August 14, two young people drowned in the waters of Pinar del Río following the sinking of another vessel in the municipality of Sandino.
The Mexican Navy had already participated this year in other operations related to Cuban migrants in the Caribbean. In February, seven rafters were rescued near Banco Chinchorro, while weeks later, a search was launched for another eight missing persons in that area.
Maritime journeys to Mexico remain one of the most dangerous routes taken by Cubans seeking to leave the island. In addition to the inherent risks of navigating in precarious vessels, there are breakdowns, fuel shortages, weather conditions, and the possibility of drifting for days without enough water or food.
The departures also occur amidst a deep economic and energy crisis in Cuba, characterized by prolonged blackouts, shortages of food and medicine, and a continued deterioration of living conditions.
An analysis by elTOQUE placed the Cuban Migration Risk Index at 0.80 in April 2026, a category considered "extreme" and the most critical level recorded by that indicator.
For the families of these 19 Cubans, however, the most important news arrived this Thursday after nine days of anguish: the vessel was located and its occupants were rescued by the Mexican Navy.
Related videos:
Filed under: