Federal agents detain 64 Haitian migrants left stranded on an island near Puerto Rico

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Federal agents said they detained 64 Haitian migrants on Thursday after smugglers abandoned them on an uninhabited island west of Puerto Rico.

Park rangers alerted authorities after discovering the group on Mona Island, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The group included 30 men, 28 women and six minors.

It is the third time in recent weeks that a group of Haitians have been left stranded on that island, located in treacherous waters between Puerto Rico and the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Two weeks ago, 31 other migrants were rescued from the island, and last Sunday, an additional 14 also were discovered, officials said.

Haitians continue to flee their country, where gang violence has deepened poverty, increased hunger and left more than 700,000 people homeless in recent years.