The U.S. Coast Guard is detaining 10 Cuban men after intercepting them at sea as they tried to reach the U.S. mainland.
The men surrendered to the Coast Guard Friday after a confrontation that lasted for more than an hour.
Sailing in a homemade wooden boat, the Cuban migrants initially ignored Coast Guard orders to surrender. They also tossed back lifejackets thrown by the Coast Guard.
The lengthy standoff ended after a Coast Guard boat rammed the small craft, knocking several men into the Atlantic Ocean. A government official is quoted by the Miami Herlad newspaper as saying the ramming incident was "inadvertent."
The 10 migrants were within three kilometers of the Florida shore when they surrendered. U.S. policy says Cubans can be repatriated if they do not reach land. Immigration authorities will decide if any of the men will be granted asylum.
