20 Cuban migrants who were on a boat that had been abandoned by human traffickers in the Gulf of Uraba were rescued by a Colombian coast guard.
The Colombian coast guard rescued 20 Cuban migrants Sunday who were on a boat that had been abandoned by human traffickers in the Gulf of Uraba, the navy said.
The migrants include 15 men and five women who were found aboard the boat adrift in the north of the gulf, which is part of the Caribbean.
According to preliminary information, two Colombian people smugglers who were attempting to get the migrants to neighboring Panama had jumped ship when the engine failed.
The migrants have been taken to a coast guard station in the town of Turbo for processing.
More than 500 illegal immigrants have been found in the Caribbean off Colombia so far this year, a significant increase over previous years. In 2014, the number totaled 134.