The U.S. Coast Guard and the Dominican Republic Navy rescued 61 migrants from an overloaded boat off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic on Monday, October 5, 2026, following a recent tragic incident in the same region. The rescue comes just days after 10 individuals were reported missing from a capsized migrant vessel.
The Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesler spotted the distressed 30-foot vessel around 6 a.m. approximately 12 nautical miles northwest of Cabo Cabron. Officials reported that the boat was rapidly taking on water at the time of the rescue.
On October 1, another migrant boat carrying 62 people capsized about 100 miles southeast of Mona Island during a disturbance among those on board. Coast Guard personnel, alongside a civilian crew, managed to rescue most of the passengers, but three bodies were recovered, and the fates of the 10 remaining individuals are presumed to be fatal.
Cmdr. Matthew Romano, chief of response for Coast Guard Sector San Juan, cautioned against the rising trend of dangerous migration attempts. “These dangerous and unlawful voyages are increasing, and our luck will eventually run out,” he stated. He urged potential migrants to seek safer and lawful pathways, warning of the risks of prosecution or immediate repatriation if caught.
As part of a cooperative effort to deter maritime migration, the Griesler was patrolling in Dominican waters when it located the boat in distress. Dominican Republic Air Force helicopters and aircraft monitored the situation from above as the Coast Guard crews transferred the rescued individuals onto small patrol boats.
Two Dominican Republic Navy patrol boats assisted with the transfer, and all migrants were subsequently handed over to local authorities. The nationalities of those rescued are still being determined.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, most individuals from the previous week’s incident were identified as being from the Dominican Republic, while two survivors were reported to be from Haiti.
