Speaking yesterday, Tuesday 18 March, Minister of Defense Sigfrido Pared Perez said there has been what he described as “a stampede” of immigration from Haiti motivated by the special facilities the United States is granting Haitians who make it to US territory, as reported in Diario Libre. Rear Admiral Edwin Dominici said that in the 18 months from August 2012 to February, the Armada stopped 235 illegal boat trips to Puerto Rico and arrested 3,012 people, including 1,795 foreigners. Navy spokesman Juan Sandoval Garcia said that some 16 organizations that organized boat trips were dismantled.