So far this year there have been at least 74 deaths in the Mona Passage that connects the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and which is used as a highway for illegal immigrants. Last week, 18 people died as the small boat they were traveling in capsized off the coast of a small island. US Ambassador Hans Hertell put into action a publicity campaign called ?Illegal trips in small boats are trips to death,? to discourage the voyages, but they seem to continue nonetheless. According to official data, on 1 February at least 50 people died when their boat overturned in the waters off Puerto Rico. At the time, the Dominican Navy downplayed the number, but the discovery of the body of a 22-year-old from Azua confirmed what many family members had feared all along. Because of the clandestine nature of the trips, accurate figures for deaths are impossible to obtain. Last February a small boat capsized after leaving San Rafael de Yuna. Puerto Rican authorities said that at least six people perished in the accident.