CAPE BAY, Sint Maarten – Reports reaching our newsroom indicate that on Tuesday, 
November 1st, minutes after 7:00 p.m., nine (9) undocumented Cubans were arrested and taken into custody by the police alongside immigration officers.
A few residents in Cape Bay were alerted when one resident saw some movement in the bushes near the beach/cemetery area. It became clear to the residents that there were persons hiding in the bushes. Upon approach, one resident spoke to a female, asking if the female needed some help.
The female then proceeded by replying, “no no no”, with a Spanish accent. The resident became highly alarmed, due to the high level of break-ins in the area, and alerted the authority and other residents in the area.
The residents in the area came together to gather and detain the nine (9) persons until the authorities arrived. There were eight (8) males and one (1) female all of Cuban descents.
They had just been dropped off by a vessel, which the Coast Guard attempted to intercept but to no avail. However, one of the biggest disadvantages of the Dutch Coast Guard in Sint Maarten is the fact that it is not equipped with it’s own radar system on land, thereby making it difficult to apprehend the vessel.
An investigation has begun, however, in the meantime, a shelter has been established to accommodate the extra nine (9) Cubans.
