AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico. - U.S. Border Patrol Agents apprehended 14 non-citizens from Haiti Sunday who were abandoned by a smuggling organization in Monito Island, a barren uninhabited natural reserve.

Two weeks ago, federal authorities removed 31 Haitians that were abandoned in the same location.

"There are safe, orderly, and lawful paths to immigrate to the United States. There is no need to risk their lives traversing the Mona Passage in the hands of ruthless smugglers, only to arrive at our coast and face the legal consequences of unlawful entry" stated Reggie Johnson, Acting Chief Patrol Agent for Ramey Sector. "Smugglers and bad actors continue to spread falsehoods and show complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable migrants."

On Sept. 28, Park Rangers from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources stationed in Mona Island relayed the presence of migrants on top of Monito Island.

On Sept. 29, the US Coast Guard cutter Joseph Tezanos rescued 14 non-citizens from Haiti (5 adult men, 5 adult women and 4 accompanied minors) and transported them to the Mayaguez Port of Entry where Ramey Station Border Patrol agents assumed custody for processing and removal proceedings.

The Ramey Sector is one of the twenty-one Sectors spread out across the United States. Encompassing the U.S. territorial islands of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it is the only Border Patrol Sector located outside the continental United States. The Sector's entire border area is made up of coastline and its area of responsibility is made up of some 6,000 square miles of land and water area, including the twelve-mile band of territorial water surrounding the Islands.

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