COAST GUARD IN FLORIDA FACES NEW WAVE OF CUBAN MIGRATION

 Off Loading Cuban Refugees At The Miami Sea Buoy 1965-Photo USCG

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The announcement of a thaw in the relations between Cuba and the United States hasn't stemmed the flow of north bound migrants out of Cuba. The latest count for 2015 was over 4,000 the most since 1980. Its simple, Cuba is run by commies, and everything a Commie touches turns to crap. Life in Commie Cuba is crap and if you can avoid detection or drowning for a 90 mile voyage, you can live in America if you can get your feet on the shore. Some of the north bound refugees fear that this particular loop hole will close as relations normalize. Some who have had better earnings and savings try the new air /land route of air travel to Ecuador then land transit through Central America to the highly unsecured U.S. / Mexican border. But the sea route is still the most traveled, few in Commie land can afford the air package. This is making the Straits of Florida once again a problem area for the U.S.Coast Guard and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. Not only are the numbers increasing but apparently the the level of desperation is increasing as well. Recently CBP officials have noted that some Cuban migrants have a shown a willingness to forcibly resist border agents. The Coast Guard reports approximately 20 incidents last year of violence against its boarding team members. If a migrant doesn't make it to the U.S. beach he is headed back to Cuba where he may be facing boat theft charges, or simply shot for wanting to leave the "worker's paradise". The commies seem to want to dump as many people as they can into the United States, but it is their custom to treat the matter as if we were stealing and kidnapping their people. 

 In public statements the Coast Guard makes it clear that its' priority is saving people from peril at sea, but they do cooperate to the maximum extent possible with the CBP to keep illegal migrants out of Florida. Miami Mayor Thomas Regalado has already told the media and no doubt Florida's Congressional delegation that Federal assistance will be needed to house the Thousands of refugees expected this year. It all makes you wonder, if an avowed and open and angry socialists like Bernie Sanders is elected, where will the Americans go to get away from Commie rule? The Florida Straits were nothing but trouble when I first enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1965 and it looks like a half century later nothing has changed. Basically ops normal, situation sucks.

Johnas 

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AAB RECOMMENDED  Most of the staff here knew the late great Capt. Mike Howel a major character in this narrative. This is a well told tale that puts human faces on the exodus.