San Juan, Apr 1 (EFE).- Federal and Puerto Rican authorities arrested three Venezuelans this Saturday, seizing 3,051 pounds (1,384 kilos) of cocaine valued at 32 million dollars on the east coast of Puerto Rico.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Maritime Operations (AMO) agents, along with other federal and local agencies, carried out this operation near the exclusive residential area of Palmas del Mar in Humacao (east ).
As CBP explained in a press release, it was a crew from an AMO vessel that sighted a suspicious vessel or yola built of wood with its lights off, sailing at high speed east of the island.
The AMO ship continued on its course trying to intercept the yola, but lost sight of it, requesting assistance from a United States Coast Guard Bull-17 aircraft.
The coast guard aircraft managed to locate the suspicious vessel 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the coast of Humacao, maintaining surveillance to help the AMO marine unit, as well as others from the United Forces for Rapid Action and Intelligence of the Police of Puerto Rico who joined in the operation.
Finally, the agents intercepted the yola near the Palmas del Mar resort.
On board the yola were three men, who said they were Venezuelan citizens, who were seized with 40 bales of cocaine.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration were given custody of the contraband and the three individuals for investigation and prosecution.
This is the most recent operation against drug trafficking in Puerto Rico since last Thursday, AMO agents intercepted a boat near Mona Island, west of Puerto Rico, arresting two Dominicans with a shipment of cocaine valued at 2.9 millions of dollars.
