16 migrants detained after cargo ship jump in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating a group of at least 16 migrants who apparently were stowaways aboard a cargo ship headed to Puerto Rico and jumped into the ocean as it neared the U.S. territory on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in San Juan Bay and was recorded by onlookers as all but two migrants hurled themselves into the water and were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Two female migrants who remained aboard the cargo ship also were detained, Jeffrey Quiñones, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told The Associated Press.

The cargo ship had departed from Jacksonville, Florida, but officials suspect the migrants might have scrambled aboard the ship in waters near the Dominican Republic after abandoning a small boat in that area, Quiñones said.

Authorities had not yet determined where the migrants are from or why they jumped into the water, but they were in good condition overall, he said.