Six Cuban migrants were transferred to Bahamian authorities in June 2025 after the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted their unseaworthy craft in the Caribbean Sea. U.S. COAST GUARD
Seventy migrants were apprehended in the Caribbean Sea as The Bahamas and the United States collaborated on surveilling, tracking and interdicting illegal migrant-transporting vessels. One operation, near Hole in the Wall Lighthouse in South Abaco, showcased the cooperation between the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and U.S. authorities, according to an RBDF news release. An RBDF drone team assisted in a multiday surveillance effort to track the ship. Another U.S. Coast Guard apprehension of six Cuban migrants ended with Bahamian authorities accepting the migrants for processing, according to U.S. and Bahamian media reports.
The June 22 interdiction near South Abaco unfurled after aerial surveillance spotted the cabin cruiser. For four days, RBDF and U.S. crews kept watch before His Majesty’s Bahamian Ship Lignum Vitae, commanded by Lt. Sanchez Davis, intercepted the boat. On board were 64 people, including 50 men. No children were on the vessel. The migrants, whose nationalities were not disclosed, were transported to Marsh Harbour for preliminary processing by the Bahamas Department of Immigration before sailing on the HMBS Lignum Vitae to New Providence. The Lignum Vitae, in service since 2015, is a 30-meter, shallow-draft patrol vessel capable of top speeds of 30 kilometers per hour.
Four days later, on June 26, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Robert Yered transferred six Cuban migrants to Bahamian authorities after intercepting their unseaworthy craft in the Caribbean. The increased U.S. assets in the region have led to a drastic reduction in attempts by Cubans to reach the U.S. by sea and land. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, 10,362 Cubans were encountered by Border Patrol agents in May 2025 attempting to reach the U.S., down from 58,121 in October 2024.
The participation of RBDF drone operators in the South Abaco operation demonstrates the increasing capability of The Bahamas to effectively achieve domain awareness in its waters and to contribute to regional maritime security.
The RBDF operates Skydio multi-copter and Deep Trekker underwater tethered drones. The RBDF began its drone program in 2020 and has graduated five classes of operators. The RBDF has conducted drone training with its Caribbean partners and credited drones with increasing its maritime awareness, helping stem the illegal transport of migrants, narcotics, guns and trafficked human beings through the island nation’s extensive network of islands, cays and isolated coves.