The Royal Bahamas Defence Force was successful in apprehending a Haitian sailing sloop containing 87 persons attempting to gain entry into the southern Bahamas over the weekend.

72 males, 12 females and three children were arrested.

Reports are that on Saturday,  the HMBS Leon Smith, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Stephen Rolle, was on patrol in the Southern Bahamas when it intercepted, boarded and subsequently detained the vessel some 30 miles southwest of Great Inagua.

The vessel was sighted and reported to the Defence Force’s operations command center by a USCFG fixed wing asset which was also operating in the area resulting in its apprehension by HMBS Leon Smith.

The Defence Force said that roughly 1,200 migrants have been apprehended this year.  The government’s  deadline for illegal  migrants to leave the country  expires in less than a week.