3 migrants killed, 11 detained after boat sinks in Caribbean: CBP

ByKARMA ALLEN ABCNews logo
Monday, September 16, 2019

Three people were killed and 11 were detained on Saturday night when a makeshift boat capsized in the Caribbean, authorities said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in the Caribbean bureau said the makeshift vessel, called a "yola," went under Saturday night with "approximately" 38 undocumented immigrants on board, according to a statement. Three drowned and 11 were detained by the Ramey Border Patrol, the CBP stated via the agency's verified Twitter account.

It is unclear what the status is of the other migrants.

Officials tweeted images from the scene Sunday evening, showing agents as they examined the damaged vessel on the shore. It was painted blue and appeared to be made of wood.

The CPB's Caribbean bureau is responsible for the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Twenty-four passengers, all believed to be from the Dominican Republic, are still missing as of Monday morning, a CBP spokesman told ABC news.

The boat departed from the eastern shore of the Dominican Republic, making its way into an area described by one CBP official as "extremely treacherous." The boat then capsized, scattering the passengers, most of whom have not been found.

ABC News' Quinn Owen contributed to this report.

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