Units of the Colombian Navy managed to safeguard the lives of 19 Venezuelan migrants, including four minors and a pregnant woman, who were transporting irregularly in boats through the waters of San Andrés and the insular region; bound for Central America.
The effective controls, together with the technological tools that the Naval Institution has for traffic control and maritime surveillance, allowed the identification of the suspicious vessel with Colombian registration named “UFF” some 30 kilometers south of the island, for which in a timely manner, Rapid Reaction Units of the San Andrés Coast Guard were deployed, in order to verify the situation.
When carrying out the interdiction at sea, it was found that the vessel was illegal, did not have the minimum safety conditions to go to sea and did not comply with current maritime regulations; reason for which, she was taken to the main pier of the Coast Guard in San Andrés.
The rescued people were placed at the disposal of Colombian Migration and the Captain of the motor ship and another crew member were captured and placed at the disposal of officials of the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation. While, minors were cared for by the competent authorities in order to restore their rights.
“We owe our lives to the Colombian Navy, because imagine. We are alive, we are alive, we are fine and they are taking care of us,” said a rescued older adult after specifying the feeling of panic and danger when they went to sea in these precarious boats.
Within the framework of the “Ayacucho” and “Naval Bicentennial” Campaign Plans, the Colombian Navy, through the Caribbean Naval Force and the San Andrés y Providencia Specific Command, will continue to carry out sustained maritime control operations in the time, in order to support the immigration authorities to counteract the irregular migration of people and affect the illicit economies that occur in this area of the country.