Hurricane Ian: 23 Migrants Missing After Boat Sinks Off Florida

About 20 Cuban migrants are reported missing near the Florida Keys after their boat sank during bad weather associated with Hurricane Ian.

Walter Slosar, chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol’s Miami Division, said Wednesday that four Cuban migrants landed on Stock Island, next to Key West, after the ship sank due to bad weather.

The US Coast Guard has launched a search and rescue operation to search for 23 missing migrants, Slosar said. Other details about the accident were not immediately released.

Seven migrants from Cuba were detained after landing on Pompano Beach on Tuesday.

“Do not risk your life by attempting this journey at sea,” warned Slosar. “The storm surge associated with the King Tides can create dangerous sea conditions even after the storm has passed.”

Hurricane Ian is a powerful Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of up to 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers) and is predicted to make landfall on the west coast of Florida. Strong tropical storm winds can extend outward up to 175 miles (280 kilometers).

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