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‘With God’s blessing’: 15 Cubans trying to migrate make it to Florida Keys on Christmas

A rustic boat carrying 15 people from Cuba landed ashore in the Florida Keys on Dec. 25, 2022, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. 
A rustic boat carrying 15 people from Cuba landed ashore in the Florida Keys on Dec. 25, 2022, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.  Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar / @USBPChiefMIP

A rustic boat carrying 15 people from Cuba came ashore in the Florida Keys on Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

At 5 Christmas morning, Border Patrol agents and police officers arrived at Key Colony Beach, where they found the group of Cubans, Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar, of the agency’s Miami sector, said on Twitter. They had sailed on a white vessel with Spanish black lettering that read: “Con la bendición de Dios” — “With God’s blessing.”

The people, who departed from the Cuban city of Matanzas, were taken into federal custody.

Authorities didn’t release additional information.

This story was originally published December 25, 2022 at 2:28 PM with the headline "‘With God’s blessing’: 15 Cubans trying to migrate make it to Florida Keys on Christmas."

Omar Rodríguez Ortiz
Miami Herald
Omar is a bilingual and bicultural journalist, covering breaking news in South Florida for the Miami Herald. He has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in education from the Universidad de Puerto Rico en Río Piedras.