Posted by
Josue on Sunday, July 09, 2006 8:45:51 PM
AP has a
sad story of desperate people, and human smugglers who are making a profit of their plight.
A boat overloaded with Cubans being smuggled into the U.S. tried to
ram a Coast Guard vessel in rough seas early Saturday, and a woman
aboard the boat died, authorities said.
The 36-foot, go-fast boat
ignored orders to stop when the Coast Guard tried to intercept it 4
miles south of Boca Chica around 6:30 a.m., said Petty Officer James
Judge, a spokesman for the Coast Guard.
Alfredo Mesa, the executive director for the
Cuban American National Foundation made a statement:
"The people who are culpable are those who engage in the smuggling of
humans," said Alfredo Mesa, the group's executive director. "At the
same time, we call upon the U.S. Coast Guard to remember that these are
human beings fleeing tyranny."
I'm confident that the Coast Guard took every precaution to when disabling the boat using gunshots. As a matter of fact, it would seem to me that considering the smuggler's behavior, disabling the boat was a priority for the safety of the passengers. Amazing what people will do in desperation when 'fleeing tyranny."