Also known in
Spanish as "Hermanos al Rescate", Brothers to the Rescue is a
Miami-based group whose members fly search-and-rescue missions over the
Florida Straits. When they see
balseros, rafters fleeing
Cuba, they drop food and fresh water near the raft. Brothers to the Rescue will also, if requested, alert the
Coast Guard.
Brothers to the Rescue was in the headlines around February 24, 1996, when Cuban MiGs shot down four volunteers in two Cessnas. There is some dispute over whether the planes were in international airspace, as the US government and Brothers to the Rescue claim (about 18 miles offshore), or in Cuban airspace, as Cuba claims.
Their site is hermanos.org.