Cuban Migrant Boat Sinks With 12 People Missing And 5 Killed.

An homemade boat they were trying to get from Cuba to the United States capsized, leaving 12 people missing and five people dead, according to official Cuban media on Friday.

An extraordinary flight from Cuba, mainly to the United States, is being fueled by a major economic crisis.

The Cubadebate daily said on its website that “five fatalities have been recorded,” adding that witnesses claimed “the catastrophe happened owing to heavy waves.”

According to the report, 11 people were saved by two coast guard vessels that responded to a plea for assistance.

The report said that 12 persons from the boat were reported missing by witnesses.

The migrants, who are all from Cardenas, a community 115 kilometers (70 miles) east of Havana, “left the country illegally via Torrontela on January 23” in an effort to enter US territory, it said.

The next day, the boat sunk.

Since the end of 2021, many Cubans have attempted to go to the United States via Central America by taking advantage of a visa exemption in Nicaragua, a country that is an ally of Havana.

Through the Florida Straits, marine emigration has also increased dramatically recently.

Since October 1, the United States Coast Guard has detained 5,321 Cubans at sea, as opposed to 6,182 throughout the whole year up to September 2022.