Seventeen Haitian migrants found dead after boat capsizes en route to Miami: officials

At least 17 Haitian migrants hoping to reach Miami died after a boat capsized in rough waters off the coast of the Bahamas, officials said on Sunday.

The Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said in an emergency press conference that 25 Haitians have been rescued, with many more presumed missing. 

He classified the travelers as “suspected irregular Haitian migrants” and the voyage as “a suspected human smuggling operation.”

Rescuers who found the capsized speed boat the morning after the wreck heard knocking underneath the hull — one female passenger was still alive in a trapped air pocket. The 17 bodies were found with her, and an infant is among the dead, according to Bahamas Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernando.

It’s estimated that the 30-foot, twin engine speed boat was originally carrying as many as 60 people. Two Bahamians rescued from the boat are now in custody, the police commissioner announced, adding those involved in the operation will face prosecution.

A multi-agency investigation is underway, and recovery efforts for the missing continue. 

Officials noted that the migrants each likely paid between $3,000-8,000 to make the trip.   

Thousands of Haitians continue to make the sometimes dangerous journey to the U.S., fleeing gang violence and poverty at home.

A boat carrying hundreds of Haitians migrants headed to the U.S. washed up in Cuba in May, the same month that 11 migrants drowned after a vessel capsized near Puerto Rico, Reuters reported.

The Bahamian Minister of Labor said 20 of the survivors of this weekend's capsizing are at an immigration detention center, and three are in the hospital.   

The Bahamian government “has continually warned against these treacherous voyages,” the prime minister said at the news conference.

“I understand that the situation that many of these migrants face, that would encourage them to take such great risks. We, however, appeal to those considering making such a voyage not to do so,” Davis said.