MIAMI — Officials say more than 100 Bahamians who hoped to evacuate to Florida after Hurricane Dorian but didn't have visas were kicked off a ferry because operators failed to coordinate the mission with authorities.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says in a statement Monday that the agency requested that the company coordinate with U.S. and Bahamian governments before departing Freeport but it failed to do so. Footage from WSVN-TV shows a ship traveling to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday with a loudspeaker message saying passengers who didn't have a U.S. visa needed to disembark.
The U.S. agency says Bahamians can travel without a visa only if they are first screened by U.S. officials in the Bahamas.
CBP says 857 properly screened Bahamians arrived to Florida on a cruise ship Saturday "without incident."
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