The Coast Guard Cutter Thetis supported disaster response efforts Wednesday in Les Cayes, Haiti.
Cutter Thetis crewmembers assisted the Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS Holland crew, Dutch Marines and Red Cross members to load supplies for the World Food Program at the Haitian Coast Guard station in Les Cayes.
Cutter Thetis crewmembers and embarked Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew also assisted Jean Marie Wagnac, Haitian Coast Guard Commandant, to visit troops and assess damage to the Haitian Coast Guard station in Les Cayes for the first time since the passage of Hurricane Matthew.
The Coast Guard continues to patrol the waters in the Mona and Windward Passage in close cooperation and coordination with foreign partners. The Coast Guard and its partner agencies urge migrants not to take to the sea or take part in any illegal migration endeavors.
The sea is dangerous and unforgiving for overloaded and poorly made vessels which are often the means used on these types of illegal voyages. Storms can quickly form over the Caribbean and adverse weather effects generated by a tropical storm or hurricane can cover an area hundreds of miles wide.
"The Coast Guard and its partners continue to patrol the Caribbean and Florida Straits to enforce U.S. immigration law and stop unsafe voyages before they end in tragedy," said Capt. Mark Gordon, chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District.
Coast Guard Cutter Thetis crewmembers assess damage Wednesday at the Haitian Coast Guard station in Les Cayes. Photo USCG