The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) intercepted a vessel carrying hundreds of migrants in waters near the Bahamas over the weekend, according to reports.
The incident unfolded on Saturday near Cay Sal, an uninhabited island belonging to the Bahamas that lies roughly halfway between Cuba and Florida.
Stunning aerial footage of the packed 50-foot vessel was shared on social media by the USCG.
“USCG Cutter Legare’s crew assisted the [Royal Bahamas Defence Force] in stopping an unsafe, overloaded Haitian sailing vessel, Sat,” USCGSoutheast wrote on Twitter on Monday.
“There were more than 390 people aboard. USCG crews will transfer the people to Bahamian authorities.”
#Breaking @USCG Cutter Legare’s crew assisted @TheRBDF in stopping an unsafe, overloaded Haitian sailing vessel, Sat.
There were more than 390 people aboard. #USCG crews will transfer the people to Bahamian authorities.#DontTakeToTheSea @USEmbassyNassau @USEmbassyHaiti pic.twitter.com/wtZdtEJQF4
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) January 23, 2023
In total, 396 migrants aboard the ship were taken to a processing center on the Bahamian island of Inagua, Bahamas Local reports.
“It was grossly overloaded and very much unsafe,” said USCG spokeswoman Nicole Groll.
On Sunday, USCG intercepted a similarly-rustic vessel carrying migrants before it could reach Key West.
Read More: Coast Guard Intercepts Boat Packed With Nearly 400 Haitians