port on the north-east coast of Venezuela, although exact passenger numbers remain unclear.

"This tragic incident highlights the extreme risks of sea journeys and other irregular cross-border movements undertaken by refugees and migrants," the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, said in a statement.

"It also underscores the desperation of those forced to flee their homes and the extraordinary difficulties faced on their journey," the agency added.

Why are people fleeing Venezuela?

Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, who took office in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chavez, has been condemned at home and abroad for alleged human rights abuses and for his handling of the economy.

There are severe shortages of basic items such as medicine and food, and an estimated three million people have fled the country.

The annual inflation rate reached 1,300,000% in theCarmine Agnello, a made member of New York City's Gambino Family and the former son-in-law of John Gotti, was arrested Wednesday after Cleveland police said he was using a scrapyard on East 116th Street near Harvard Avenue to scrap thousands of stolen cars.

Carmine Agnello, a made member of New York City's Gambino Family and the former son-in-law of John Gotti, was arrested Wednesday after Cleveland police said he was using a scrapyard on East 116th Street near Harvard Avenue to scrap thousands of stolen cars.

Carmine Agnello, a made member of New York City's Gambino Family and the former son-in-law of John Gotti, was arrested Wednesday after Cleveland police said he was using a scrapyard on East 116th Street near Harvard Avenue to scrap thousands of stolen cars.

Carmine Agnello,