WILLEMSTAD - The Coast Guard, together with Defense in the Caribbean, has been monitoring our coastlines intensively for some time. This intensification of coastal surveillance is mainly aimed at the transport of goods and people who want to reach the islands illegally. In addition to the fact that the illegal boats want to bring contraband ashore, the community also runs the risk that the persons on board the boats are infected with the coronavirus. These persons once they reach the islands pose a major risk to public health. The Coast Guard recently detained a boat with 26 undocumented people on board, 9 people from this group were infected with COVID-19.
The Coast Guard also warns fishing boats that could come into contact with COVID-19 sources of contamination at sea while transshipping fish from Venezuelan boats. The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the maritime borders and coasts in the coming period and intensification with the assistance of Defense will be maintained.
The Coast Guard is calling on all citizens who observe suspicious situations at sea and along the coastlines to call emergency number 913. Vessels at sea can contact the Rescue and Coordination Center of the Coast Guard via VHF channel 16 if they observe suspicious and / or dangerous situations. With your cooperation, we keep the sea and the coastlines of the islands safe even during the corona crisis.