Coast Guard: 185 migrants reach Florida Keys in December

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Coast Guard officials say about 185 migrants made it ashore in the Florida Keys in the month after Fidel Castro’s death.

Capt. Jeffrey Janszen of the Coast Guard’s Sector Key West told The Citizen (http://bit.ly/2jawQjJ ) that it’s not clear why there were so many migrant landings in December. Good weather may have helped some migrants, though Janszen said winds were rough around Christmas.

Andrew Regan of U.S. Customs and Border Protection said nine Cuban men landed Tuesday on Grassy Key — all in good health despite spending a week at sea in a homemade sailboat with no engine.

Castro died Nov. 25. Coast Guard officials say the number of Cubans attempting to reach U.S. shores has surged for two years.

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