A Dominican man is sentenced to prison after 11 migrants drowned in a smuggling attempt

News > National News

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

3:06 PM on Monday, February 10, 2025

The Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Dominican man was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a human smuggling operation that authorities say led to the deaths of 11 migrants.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Fermín Montilla was captain of a boat carrying 48 people from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico when it capsized in May 2022 near an uninhabited island.

The victims were 11 Haitian girls and women who were buried in Puerto Rico.

Thousands of Haitians are fleeing poverty and gang violence in their country, with many risking the dangerous trip from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, where rough waters have claimed dozens of lives in recent years.

 

You might also be interested in:

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links

On Air & Up Next

  • The Larry Elder Show
    1:00AM - 3:00AM
     
    Larry Elder personifies the phrase “We’ve Got a Country to Save” The “Sage from   >>
     
  • The Chris Stigall Show
    3:00AM - 6:00AM
     
    Equal parts hilarity and desk-pounding monologues with healthy doses of skepticism and sarcasm.
     
  • The Morning Answer
    6:00AM - 9:00AM
     
    The Morning Answer with Jennifer Horn - Weekdays from 6:00 am to 9:00 am.   >>
     
  • The Alex Marlow Show
    9:00AM - 10:00AM
     
    In a time when political establishments, globalist bureaucracies, and   >>
     
  • The Scott Jennings Show
    10:00AM - 12:00PM
     
    Jennings is battle-tested on cable news, a veteran of four presidential   >>
     

See the Full Program Guide