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Jan 25, 2007 6:00 am US/Eastern
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19 Cubans Arrive On The Keys
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KEY WEST (CBS4) ―
Nineteen Cubans came ashore Wednesday at the Truman Annex in Key West, arriving in what police described as a homemade craft.
The group consisted of twelve males, five females and two children. All were in good health when they arrived on American soil around 5:30 am.
The officer knocked on Capt. J.R. Brown's front door, alerting him to the situation and asking to use his phone to call
authorities.
The group arrived in what appeared to be a homemade boat, police said.
Brown asked a Spanish-speaking neighbor to meet with the Cubans, who "appeared to be in very good condition," he said.
The captain said he knew the arrival of Cuban immigrants near his backyard was a possibility when he took the post within the past year. Key West is only 90 miles from Cuba, and thousands of Cubans try to reach the U.S. each year by boat.
The 19 were to be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Under U.S. policy, Cubans found on shore are generally allowed to stay, while those found at sea are usually returned.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)