The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) along with the Air and Marine Operations (AMO) intercepted a vessel transporting cocaine in waters along northern Puerto Rico.
The agencies seized 1,455 pounds of cocaine valued at approximately $15.1 million and arrested four non-citizens from the Dominican Republic north of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
“In less than a week Air and Marine Interdiction agents have interfered with the introduction of almost 5,000 pounds of cocaine into the island,” Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands Air and Marine Operations Director Augusto Reyes said. “Their maritime domain awareness allows for continued success in deterring these attempts from Transnational Criminal Organizations.
An AMO Multirole Enforcement Aircraft (MEA) crew detected a 30-foot Yola type vessel with four persons on board and large packages approximately 8 nautical miles north of Las Picuas Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
While in the process of intercepting the vessel, officials said the vessel occupants began to throw bales into the water, officials indicated. Further, the Yola vessel began to sink due to the sea conditions, at which point AMO contacted Puerto Rico Police Department FURA units to assist in the recovery of the bales.
According to AMO, agents recovered 18 bales from the water and detained the four men on board the vessel before the vessel sank, with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receiving custody of the contraband and the four individuals for investigation and prosecution.