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Refugees

Navy and Coast Guard Scramble to Respond to Cuban Refugee Crisis

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The US Navy and Coast Guard have diverted more than 70 ships to respond to the Cuban refugee crisis, with over 8,500 personnel at sea and ashore joining the operation. The military has pulled ships out of port and dispatched others from the Caribbean to assist in the rescue efforts. The Aegis cruiser Vicksburg, one of the most advanced ships in the fleet, has temporarily traded in its anti-drug mission to ferry 691 Cubans to Guantanamo Bay. The Pentagon is preparing to send 5,000 to 7,000 additional security and support troops to Guantanamo Bay to augment the 2,900 forces already there.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Navy and Coast Guard have diverted over 70 ships to respond to the Cuban refugee crisis, with more than 8,500 personnel at sea and ashore joining the operation.
  • The military has pulled ships out of port and dispatched others from the Caribbean to assist in the rescue efforts.
  • The Aegis cruiser Vicksburg has temporarily traded in its anti-drug mission to ferry 691 Cubans to Guantanamo Bay.
  • The Pentagon is preparing to send 5,000 to 7,000 additional security and support troops to Guantanamo Bay to augment the 2,900 forces already there.
  • About 800 of the troops currently at Guantanamo Bay are military police, and officials expect this ratio to remain the same as the troop commitment grows.
  • The Coast Guard is planning to maintain the heightened work pace for at least 30 days.
  • Some of the 60 Coast Guard vessels with other priority missions will return to their regular duties as additional Navy ships arrive in the Straits of Florida.
  • The Coast Guard has incurred $6 million to $8 million in additional costs in the two-month-old Haitian mission, a similar operation.
  • The military has spent about $220 million on the Haitian mission in the same period, including enforcement of the trade embargo against Haiti and building and operating the Haitian refugee camps.
  • The Coast Guard and Navy are using a bucket brigade system to pick up Cubans sailing in flimsy rafts and small boats in the Straits of Florida.
  • The Navy has 10 ships, mainly frigates, shuttling back and forth, with three more vessels on the way.

Statistics:

  • More than 70 ships have been diverted to respond to the Cuban refugee crisis.
  • Over 8,500 personnel are at sea and ashore joining the operation.
  • 691 Cubans were ferried to Guantanamo Bay by the Aegis cruiser Vicksburg on one trip.
  • 5,000 to 7,000 additional security and support troops are being sent to Guantanamo Bay.
  • 2,900 forces are already at Guantanamo Bay, with 800 of them being military police.
  • The Coast Guard has incurred $6 million to $8 million in additional costs in the two-month-old Haitian mission.
  • The military has spent about $220 million on the Haitian mission in the same period.
  • The Coast Guard and Navy are using 10 ships, mainly frigates, to shuttle back and forth in the Straits of Florida, with three more vessels on the way.

Sources:

  • "Navy and Coast Guard Scramble to Respond to Cuban Refugee Crisis" (The New York Times, September [not specified])
  • Interview with Admiral Robert Kramek, Coast Guard commandant (The New York Times, September [not specified])
  • "Inventory: On Patrol" chart (The New York Times, September [not specified])
  • Quote from Captain T.J. Wilson, Vicksburg's skipper (The New York Times, September [not specified])

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