The Lieutenant Colonel said that the mission of the Cuban border guards is to safeguard human lives in any circumstance.

Havana, Nov 2 (RHC) On Tuesday, Cuban authorities warned about the dangers of illegal departures from the island, in operations without real interest in human life.

Imandra Oceguera, head of the Border Guard Troops Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), explained that there are three main ways used for irregular departures: speedboats in traffic operations, private fishing boats, and rustic means and contraptions.

"These do not have the minimum conditions to navigate and safeguard human lives", she assured in the radio and TV program Mesa Redonda.

She pointed out that most of the people who embark on maritime voyages do not know the basic rules for navigating, do not carry means of rescue or signal, and are not informed about the hydro-meteorological conditions.

Oceguera said that when there are cases of human trafficking with speedboats coming from abroad, their final destination is the United States.

"Criminals residing in that country carry out human trafficking operations in inhospitable places, at high speeds, overload the speedboats, and try to collide with the surface units of the border guard troops", she said.

She added that on two occasions this year they have used firearms to attack Cuban crews.

According to the lieutenant colonel, the border guards have detected combined operations of human trafficking, with attempts to introduce firearms and drugs into the country; internationally defined crimes.

"The mission of the Cuban border guards in the face of the negligent actions of traffickers is to safeguard human lives under any circumstances, without the use of force or firearms," she said.

Regarding the recent trafficking operations reported by the MININT, she pointed out that the Cuban authorities are investigating to clarify the facts.

For his part, the head of the Department of Identification, Immigration and Foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior, first colonel Mario Méndez, commented that in the departures by air, it is observed that many travelers are manipulated regarding their possible return to Cuba.

He commented that the price of the crossings is constantly increasing and the families of the migrants both on the island and in the United States are victims of blackmail and manipulation by a millionaire business.

He added that travelers are frequently transported in inhumane conditions and then abandoned by the traffickers.

"There is no doubt that we are talking about a national security problem for both countries, which makes it necessary to act with maturity, transparency, and without any kind of manipulation," Méndez said. (Source: PL)