US Coast Guard Intercepts Eight Stowaways on Cargo Barge Arriving in Puerto Rico from Florida
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has apprehended eight stowaways aboard a cargo barge arriving in Puerto Rico from Florida, highlighting ongoing maritime border security challenges along U.S. coastal shipping routes.
According to the Coast Guard, the incident occurred last weekend in San Juan Harbor when authorities discovered four Chinese nationals and four Dominican Republic nationals concealed aboard a barge being towed by the U.S.-flagged tug Southern Dawn.
The interdiction began on May 22 after the Air and Marine Operations Center of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported possible stowaways aboard the barge connected to the tug vessel.
Vessel tracking data from Pole Star Global shows that Southern Dawn departed Jacksonville, Florida, on May 16 and sailed directly to Puerto Rico at a consistent speed of approximately 7 to 8 knots. Records indicate the tug made no foreign port calls, stops, or route diversions during the voyage.
Despite operating on a domestic U.S. maritime route, foreign nationals were able to gain access to the barge tow before its arrival in San Juan, according to the Coast Guard. Following their apprehension by a Coast Guard boat crew, the eight individuals were transferred to CBP officials for processing at Puerto Nuevo Terminals in San Juan.
“The coordination and swift response of the Coast Guard and our partner agencies to apprehend and process these stowaways demonstrates our collective commitment to securing and protecting the U.S. maritime border and navigable waterways in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Commander Matthew Romano, Chief of Response for Coast Guard Sector San Juan.
The discovery is notable because the vessel originated from the continental United States rather than an international port, an unusual circumstance in maritime migrant interdiction cases involving Puerto Rico.
Chinese nationals represent approximately 2–3 percent of all unauthorized migrants entering the United States. However, U.S. authorities have reported a significant increase in apprehensions involving Chinese nationals along the southern border in recent years. According to U.S. Border Patrol data, approximately 25,000 Chinese nationals were arrested at the border during 2024.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the stowaways boarded the barge in Jacksonville or while the vessel was at sea. It also remains unclear why the individuals sought to reach Puerto Rico instead of remaining in Florida, the vessel’s departure point.
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The Southern Dawn is a twin-screw, EMD-powered line-haul tug originally built by Bollinger Shipyards as Hoku Ke‘a for Hawaiian shipping operations. The vessel was sold in 2021 to a Louisiana-based company and renamed Southern Dawn. Automatic Identification System (AIS) data indicates the tug has since returned to Jacksonville following the incident.
