Over 40 Haitians caught overnight in Providenciales, fourth boat in five days

#TurksandCaicos, May 16, 2018- Providenciales – As the nation of Haiti prepares for another Flag Day celebration, some of its people are trying to flee the country in the hopes for a better life elsewhere.  Some of those people are getting pass systems in place to stop them, while others are being caught and prepared for return to their homeland.  The Turks and Caicos special forces in Operation Guardian, overnight, had a successful capture of what is the fourth confirmed Haitian sloop into TCI waters within the past five days.

Magnetic Media is told forty-one Haitians were taken into custody; 35 of them males, six of them females. 

Images and video from the scene show a red and blue wooden boat, outfitted with a massive sail initially with its illegal passengers stowed away below deck.  From within the belly of the vessel emerges a disheveled bunch; dressed casually and carrying easy to tote bags with what is left of their lives after paying for what is said to be an expensive and risky voyage.  It appeared that some of those on the boat late Tuesday night were children.

The official statement on this latest detection by the coastal radar has not yet been issued, but it has been confirmed and images from the scene are now being widely circulated. 

Reactions to the images are a very weary Turks and Caicos public, already bemoaning the coming Haitian Flag Day festivities planned for within these islands.

The boat was met by Operation Guardian about 11:30 p.m. in north western Providenciales; once again at Lil Bluff.  Lil Bluff is the exact landing spot of an illegal vessel found in the wee hours of Tuesday, the same day where in that case an unknown number of illegal Haitians and their cargo made it to shore undetected.

By: Deandrea Hamilton