The United States Coast Guard had witnessed 123 deaths of Dominican trying to get to Puerto Rico in 2004, according to commander Charlie Ray of the Coast Guard detachment in Puerto Rico. The officer was taking part in the second part of the campaign to slow down the number of people trying to make illegal boat trip over to Puerto Rico. The new program is called “Illegal trips are death trips”, and US Ambassador Hans Hertell kicked off the campaign in a TV spot with Juan Luis Guerra. The written material will be distributed in car wash establishments as well as the smaller markets in and around Santo Domingo.
Eight thousand undocumented aliens were returned to the Dominican Republic last year, with more than six thousand being caught at sea and the rest ashore, after crossing the Mona Channel. Commander Ray told the audience that “last year we know of 123 persons that lost their lives in the dangerous waters of the channel. However, he reminded the people, most deaths were unreported and lost at sea since the illegal nature of the trips precluded any attention being drawn to accidents.
The commander reminded the audience that even thought the Mona Passage looks very narrow on the maps, just 20 miles at sea boat trippers will meet with rough conditions of 10 foot waves and winds of 30 to 40 miles an hour. Under these conditions it is very difficult for the Coast Guard to locate and save any person that may have had to jump boat at sea. Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito the AG of the Dominican Republic and Police General Manuel de Jesus Perez Sanchez and Navy chief of staff, Vice Admiral Cesar de Windt attended the launching of the save lives campaign.