An article in the Hoy newspaper said that the illegal boat trips to Puerto Rico are big business. A report by journalist Domingo Páez estimated that organizers reap in about RD$200 million a year. The journalist estimated that some 10,000 Dominicans cross over using the services of East Coast illegal boat trip organizers. The journalist says that the travelers expose themselves to being raped, swindled, and even assassinated. They also must endure several week waits for the favorable weather conditions, that the adequate boat be available, and bypass local Navy vigilance. Travelers leave from Nagua, Miches, Higuey, Sabana de Nisibón, Boca de Yuma or La Romana on the East Coast.
