The U.S. Coast Guard Southeast said in a statement that five migrants have died and another five are missing after a homemade boat capsized off the coast of Florida.
The group of migrants was traveling in the homemade boat when it capsized 50 miles off the coast of Little Torch Key, Florida, authorities said. Some of the rescued migrants wore life jackets, which the Coast Guard said saved their lives with winds at 30 miles per hour on Saturday, and the seas were 6 to 8 feet in the swell. Nine people were rescued, while four died almost immediately upon capsizing and one died after the incident.
The Coast Guard did not identify the country of origin for the migrants but did tag the U.S. Embassy in Cuba Twitter account in tweets about the incident. The Coast Guard said: “For individuals residing in the US seeking information on a family member possibly intercepted by the Coast Guard, please contact your local government representative.”
The Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has repeatedly warned migrants not to make the journey from the central triangle countries, because it is incredibly dangerous and could result in death.
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