A total of 19 suspected migrants and Bahamians were apprehended in the Northern Bahamas on Monday afternoon during a joint search and rescue operation between the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Police Force and BASRA officials. At 10:45am, the RBDF Northern Command received information from the Police Control Room that a vessel with foreign nationals was taking on water. A safe boat, coxswained by Chief Petty Officer Doyle Johnson, was dispatched to the area to investigate. With the assistance of a BASRA air asset, a 30-ft cabin cruiser was spotted submerged in waters off Bootle Bay, Grand Bahama.The group that was inclusive of Bahamians, Chinese, Cubans, Ecuadorians, and Haitians, were rescued from the water and transported to Old Bahama Bay, West End Marina. They were subsequently handed over to the relevant authorities for further processing.The Royal Bahamas Defence Force remains committed to protecting the territorial integrity of The Bahamas and keeping our borders secured.
