One person has drowned and another 15 were rescued by the Dominican Armada off Catalina Island south of La Romana from a sinking boat. The people were headed to Puerto Rico on an illegal boat trip.
Another nine people on the same boat managed to escape by swimming to shore. The survivors and the two boat captains were later arrested by officers from M2 Naval Intelligence.
The captains were identified as Juan Pablo Medina y Medina and José Luis Montero Feliz who abandoned their passengers as soon as the boat began sinking. Both were arrested in Barahona, hours after the tragedy occurred and will be prosecuted.
The Navy also said that two other illegal boats were stopped in the areas of Playa Bonita and Baoba del Piñal on the north coast.
In less than a week, nine illegal trips have been prevented by Intelligence Officers of the Dominican Armada, and more than 90 people arrested, including several foreigners who arrived in this country on tourist cards.
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Hoy
13 March 2019