USVI: Dominicano illegals arrested

Federal and local law enforcement officers have apprehended 20 illegal Dominicano immigrants in the last several days, continuing a trend that may lead to a record year for detentions of fleeing Dominican Republic nationals.

About 10 a.m. Monday, V.I. police officers rounded up four Dominicanos in various locations on St. John, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Ivan Ortiz said. The immigrants told the federal agents that they arrived in the territory by boat with about 20 others and that their boat had capsized, possibly leaving others on Dog Island, which is southwest of St. John.

Ortiz said authorities discovered four other Dominicanos along the St. John shoreline and took them into custody. Five Dominicanos were found on Dog Island, he said.
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So far this year, federal agents have apprehended more than twice the number of Dominicanos than throughout 2003, according to the Coast Guard. At least 3,964 Dominicanos have been interdicted at sea on their way to the United States this year. Coast Guard spokesman Ensign Eric Willis said that if this trend continues, more Dominicanos will be intercepted in 2004 than in any other year.

With the Dominican government squeezing the country to meet IMF demands, it is no wonder that Dominicanos are taking to the sea. No fear of sharks will keep them from trying to survive.