Municipal authorities in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, are searching for at least 30 Cuban rafters who entered Garrafon Park on Tuesday. According to local police officer Dagoberto Canul, the migrants’ rustic boat was towed by a ship, and when they neared the beach, they jumped into the water.
Initially, it was believed that a Mexican Navy ship had intercepted the migrants, but the agency denied this information. “Given the size of the raft, it was surely coyotes who brought these Cubans,” said Canul.
The Harbor Master’s Office removed the boat from the sea and towed it to the Rueda Medina boardwalk. “Environmental damage was avoided because there were several jugs of diesel on the raft,” Canul added. Clothes and documents were also found on the boat.
This group of rafters is the first to be registered in Mexican territory this year. However, Canul noted that more Cuban rafters are expected to arrive in Mexico due to the reinforcement of immigration measures in the US.
Canul called for “strengthening protocols to avoid clandestine arrivals” and addressing the “problem of coyote networks in this part of the country.”
Four days before the end of 2024, a group of 12 Cubans from Boca de Galafre, Pinar del Río, managed to disembark on the beaches of Tulum, Quintana Roo. According to National Guard officers, the rafters asked for assistance “so as not to be deported.” More than two weeks later, their immigration status remains unresolved.
Hours earlier, another 15 Cubans landed at Playa Caracol, near the Continental Hotel in Cancun. This group was taken to the Immigration headquarters in Playa del Carmen. Their arrival occurred amid deteriorating weather conditions, marked by rain, fog, and a drop in temperatures in the surrounding seas.
Municipal police officer Dagoberto Canul acknowledged the increase in clandestine trips from the island and mentioned that the crossing costs Cubans between 5,000 and 7,000 dollars. Between January and December of last year, 129 Cuban rafters were counted, who, after being placed in custody, were handed over to Immigration.
Source: 14 y Medio
