Chase at sea ends in one death

Posted on Sun, Jul. 09, 2006

IMMIGRATION
Chase at sea ends in one death
A smugglers' boat carrying 31 people from Cuba was intercepted by the
Coast Guard. A woman died in the incident.
BY DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com

Another dramatic sea chase off the coast of South Florida -- this one
deadly on Saturday -- again highlighted the quandary of human smuggling
from Cuba.

Using a shotgun armed with special rounds, a U.S. Coast Guard marksman
shot out the engine of an escaping go-fast boat, even as one person
aboard apparently tried to use himself as a human shield.

A young woman seeking to escape Cuba died of apparent head injuries.
Three suspected smugglers were in custody, their roles again drawing the
ire of law enforcement and Cuban exile leaders.

''Smugglers often treat migrants as if they're human cargo without
regard for life or human safety,'' U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta
said at an evening press conference. ``Migrant smuggling must stop.''

And exile leaders on Saturday again called for changes to U.S.-Cuba
migrant policy and methods used by the Coast Guard to stop boats fleeing
the island.

''But let's not lose sight that the ones responsible are the
smugglers,'' said Alfredo Mesa, the director of the Cuban American
National Foundation.

``They're the ones putting lives at risk. They're the ones who are
responsible for this human tragedy.''

In all, authorities say, 31 migrants were dangerously packed onto a
36-foot go-fast boat that left Cuba sometime last Sunday morning.

The vessel equipped with three-outboard engines was detected by radar
aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Decisive, some 39 miles south of Key
West. Smaller Coast Guard boats then gave chase.

Video shot from a Coast Guard helicopter shows the boat knifing through
the sea, a U.S. government boat with flashing lights speeding alongside.

During the chase, Coast Guard officials said, smugglers ignored commands
to stop and tried ramming their boats at least five times, though they
never made physical contact.

The go-fast tried to spray the Coast Guard boat with ''prop wash''
kicked up by its engines, then one man could been seen leaning over the
engine in an apparent attempt to cover them from Coast Guard fire.

''I can't comment on why he did it, or what was in the mind of the
people on the boat,'' said Coast Guard Capt. James A. Watson IV.

Then at close range, a specially trained Coast Guard officer used a
shotgun to fire two special rounds into the starboard engine, officials
said. The boat finally halted four miles south of Boca Chica at 6:37 a.m.

No one was injured from the shots, Watson said: ``It worked perfectly.
Both shots lodged themselves into the engine cowling and there was no
evidence that I've heard of shrapnel or anything like that.''

Officials stressed that procedure is normal, employed about once a month
as a last resort on fleeing boats. Exile leaders questioned the tactic.

''There has to be a more humane way to get these boats to stop,'' said
Mesa, of CANF.

Once aboard, Coast Guard personnel found the migrants squeezed in to the
point where they could barely do nothing but stand in place, the video
shows.

The unnamed woman -- described only as young -- suffered bruises to her
face and severe head injuries. She was speeded ashore aboard a small
Coast Guard boat, but died en route. An autopsy was scheduled for this
morning.

''She clearly does have some head trauma but we're going to be looking
at that,'' said Monroe County Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Hunter.

Another pregnant woman was taken to an onshore hospital because medical
personnel did not have proper equipment to examine her. Her condition
was not known.

Another three migrants received treatment for minor injuries.

The names of the migrants or smugglers were not released. They were
being interviewed aboard the Decisive on Saturday night. Federal
authorities are mulling charges against the suspected smugglers.

Under the so-called wet-foot/dry-foot policy, Cuban migrants intercepted
at sea are generally returned to the island, while those who make it
ashore are allowed to stay.

The incident again drew the ire of Cuban-American activists disgruntled
with the policy.

Ramón Saul Sánchez, leader of the Democracy Movement exile group, said
his organization was prepared to file lawsuits, or even begin more
hunger strikes.

Sanchez, who earlier this year staged a 12-day hunger strike protesting
the policy, showed up the Coast Guard press conference to again stress
his message to reporters.

''We continue to pursue reform to the wet-foot, dry-foot policy, which
is the only thing that will hopefully change [these tragedies],''
Sanchez said.

Herald writers Cammy Clark and Laura Morales contributed to this report.

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