Coast Guard intercepts over 300 migrants headed for US and ships them back home

More than 300 migrants nabbed on the high seas last week while trying to reach American soil have been shipped back to Haiti and the Bahamas, the US Coast Guard announced Monday.

The migrants were intercepted by Coast Guard cutters in separate incidents and sent home over the past week as part of Operation Vigilant Sentry in conjunction with Homeland Security officials, the agency said.

“The OVS maritime border security mission is often equal parts law enforcement and humanitarian response, especially as we enter hurricane season and marine weather becomes more severe and unpredictable,” Coast Guard enforcement officer Lt. Nick Fujimoto said in a statement.