More than 180 Haitians were repatriated on Friday at a time when tens of thousands are fleeing the Caribbean island nation in the wake of widespread gang violence and crime.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that it had intercepted an overloaded makeshift vessel last Sunday morning south of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The 182 people apprehended on Friday bring the total number of repatriated Haitians to 857 since Oct. 1, 2023, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The current government fiscal year ends Monday.
Gangs in Haiti control 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and they have grown more powerful since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. More than 3,600 people have been reported killed during the first half of this year, a more than 70% increase compared with the same period last year. The violence also has left nearly 700,000 Haitians homeless in recent years and thousands have fled Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.
READ MORE: Dominican president warns of 'drastic measures' if anti-gang mission in Haiti fails
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