RESOLUTE conducts an at-sea transfer with CGC DILIGENCE. The transfer included a 77 Haitian migrants, their personal belongings, and a Creole interpreter. In total, RESOLUTE cared for 260 Haitian migrants. All migrants are given food, water, and medical attention once onboard a Coast Guard cutter. During a 56-day patrol, RESOLUTE provided overt presence in Northern Haiti to deter illegal and dangerous migration voyages. Photo by ENS Alex Cordes.
The photo above came with the press release below. I don’t normally publish these routine patrol reports, but I wanted to publish the picture to illustrate how the Coast Guard is sheltering large numbers of migrants on small cutters. You can see the awnings fore and aft. The migrants are sheltered there.
This does mean the cutter cannot operate a helicopter or its Mk38 gun mount. Access to sanitary facilities is limited.
Coast Guard cutter Resolute returns home from 56-day deployment
Editor’s Note: Click on the images to download high resolution versions ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home to St. Petersburg, Florida, Saturday, following a successful 56-day Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) and Coast Guard District Seven (D7) Patrol in the Caribbean Sea. During the patrol, Resolute interdicted multiple suspected smugglers on a go-fast vessel obtaining 279.5 kilograms of cocaine, and rescued 260 Haitian migrants. Resolute, with the assistance from a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) maritime patrol aircraft, tracked and pursued a drug smuggling vessel for eight hours, culminating in a successful intercept and seizure. The suspected smugglers were detained and later transferred for case disposition in the United States. Due to increased political instability in Haiti, Resolute’s tasking shifted to Alien Migration Interdiction Operations in the Windward Pass; specifically to overtly patrol and discourage unsafe maritime migration voyages. On Sept. 24, Resolute conducted one of the largest single-unit repatriations into Cap Haitien, Haiti in recent history. Small-boat crews conducted 78 consecutive transfers safely returning all 260 migrants and their personal belongings back to Haitian authorities. On Sept. 22, Resolute interdicted an overcrowded sail freighter with 183 Haitian migrants including 17 children and infants aboard. Bound for the United States, the 55-foot vessel was dangerously overloaded and lacked sufficient navigation and safety equipment to make the journey. All 183 migrants were transferred safely to the cutter where they were provided food, water, shelter, and medical attention. In less than 24-hours, Resolute received an additional 77 migrants from another Coast Guard asset, raising the total count to 260. “The migrant interdiction mission is always unique; while the migrants are attempting to escape the poor living conditions in Haiti, their unsafe voyages risk the lives of innocent people, including children,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Wooley, a maritime enforcement specialist. “It is unfortunate to see, but it makes us feel good knowing that we potentially saved 183 people from capsizing and drowning at sea.” After a long and successful patrol, the crew is eager to return home and spend the holiday season with friends, family and loved ones. “The crew’s actions during this patrol were heroic and inspiring. I am especially impressed with their professional dexterity and ability to shift from counter-drug operations to humanitarian missions in a moment’s notice, embracing our service motto: Semper Paratus-Always Ready,” said Cmdr. Justin Vanden Heuvel, commanding officer of Resolute. Resolute is a 210-foot Reliance class cutter and has a crew of 72. Resolute was commissioned on December 8, 1966, and is homeported St. Petersburg, Florida. For more information about Resolute’s patrol, please contact our Public Affairs Officer, Ensign Alex Cordes at Alexander.N.Cordes@uscg.mil or visit our website at https://www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil/Area-Cutters/CGCRESOLUTE/. Follow us on Facebook at <\http://www.facebook.com/uscoastguardcutterResolute. |
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
So sad. If you are a refugee. You can go to Mexico and walk across the border. Try to go via boat and our tax dollars are spent to return you. The Florida border is secure but not the border states to Mecico. A strange policy.
Sir,
For reader clarification, the photo depicted is a RESOLUTE-Small Boat conducting transfers with the Cutter DILLIGENCE who was running a fore and aft tent set up for shelter. RESOLUTE did complete a 260 person repatriation. These operations are taxing on our crews but necessary for safety of life at sea. On deck holding times were greatly reduced by cooperation between D7 and GOH in acknowledgement. Thanks for your consistent advocacy. VR, CDR Vandenheuvel