Ron Labrec Quotations

There is no personal animosity between the migrants and the Coast Guard in general. We try to do it with the highest degree of compassion and humanitarian concern that we can, but ultimately it is a law enforcement mission.

Some of the adults held an infant over the side and threatened to drop the baby into the water unless we stood off.

We are doing everything we can to rescue any survivors. However, we do not know how many people may be missing. This is an extremely dangerous voyage that has resulted in many Haitian deaths in the past.

The Coast Guard is very concerned about the safety of people at sea, and we also have the role of enforcing United States law.