WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — "The Coast Guard crew repatriated 23 Cuban migrants Saturday; the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans crew repatriated 21 Cuban migrants Tuesday and another 26 Cuban migrants Friday," the release stated on Friday.
The Coast Guard noted that these repatriations were carried out as a result of "four separate at-sea migrant interdictions" in the South Florida waterways.
In 2016, nearly 7,411 Cubans tried to illegally enter the Southeastern US via the sea, which is almost 3,000 people more than those reported a year ago, the release added.
Pew Research Center analyses revealed that the number of Cubans who have entered the United States has grown significantly since President Barack Obama announced a renewal of ties with Havana in late 2014.
During the first 10 months of this year, 46,635 Cubans have legally entered the US, according to the PEW study.
