Overcrowded migrant vessel with 240 people on board intercepted near Turks and Caicos

An overcrowded migrant vas carrying 240 radical and taking connected h2o was intercepted adjacent the Turks and Caicos Islands aft authorities raced to forestall a imaginable maritime disaster.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it conducted a associated cognition Sunday with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) to halt a vas carrying hundreds of migrants who claimed Haitian nationality.

According to a Coast Guard quality release, authorities received a study of "an unlawful migrant voyage" astir 15 miles southbound of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Video released by the Coast Guard shows responding crews assisting section authorities arsenic they secured and towed the overcrowded vessel.

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An overloaded migrant vas carrying 240 radical was seen adjacent the Turks and Caicos Islands implicit the play earlier authorities intervened. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott via X)

The Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force aboriginal took custody of the vas and its passengers, the Coast Guard said.

More than 140 unit participated successful the operation, according to the agency.

"The palmy interdiction and harmless removal of these individuals from a perilous concern was made imaginable by the adjacent collaboration and swift effect of the Coast Guard, CBP AMO personnel, and authorities from the Turks and Caicos Islands," Lt. Chelsea Garcia, lawman manager of Coast Guard Operations Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, said successful a statement.

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A Coast Guard aircrew helped usher responding vessels to an overcrowded migrant vessel carrying hundreds of people, officials said. (U.S. Coast Guard)

"We powerfully counsel anyone considering participating in an unlawful maritime migration effort to reconsider," Garcia continued. "These journeys are highly hazardous, frequently involving severely overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels that are often taking connected h2o and deficiency basal life-saving equipment."

Garcia encouraged would-be migrants to prosecute "safe, legal, and orderly avenues" alternatively than "risking their lives astatine sea."

The Department of Homeland Security besides reacted to footage of the cognition connected societal media.

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Authorities said the vas was taking connected h2o and astatine hazard of sinking erstwhile responders arrived. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott via X)

"OUR BORDERS ARE CLOSED," the bureau wrote connected X. "Whether by onshore oregon oversea — if you effort to participate our federation illegally, we volition hunt you down and find you."

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott shared images from the interdiction and praised the practice betwixt the Coast Guard and its planetary partners.

"The overcrowded vas was taking connected h2o and successful information of sinking," Scott wrote connected X. 

"Our unit helped forestall what could person been a catastrophic nonaccomplishment of beingness portion stopping yet different amerciable migration attempt," helium continued. "The connection remains clear: amerciable maritime migration is dangerous, it is not worthy the risk, and you volition not gain introduction into the US."

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Officials said the vas was carrying 240 radical who claimed Haitian nationality. (U.S. Coast Guard)

The cognition comes months aft the Coast Guard and CBP intercepted aggregate suspected smuggling vessels disconnected the California coast, resulting successful the apprehension of 60 radical aboard 3 boats.

Fox News Digital's Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.