Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents detected and seized a shipment of 2,776 pounds (1,259 kilograms) of cocaine inside hidden compartments of two vessels who intended to reach the southern city of Patillas on Thursday afternoon.
The estimated street value of the seized cocaine is approximately $28.9 million.
“The southeast coast of Puerto Rico has been targeted by Transnational Criminal Organizations to introduce large amounts of contraband using various tactics,” said Augusto Reyes, Director of Air and Maritime Operations for the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch. “The determination and hard work of our AMO agents have resulted in the seizure of more than 15,000 pounds of cocaine over the past five months, which is now off the streets of Puerto Rico and the East Coast of the United States.”
On the afternoon of June 15, the crew of an AMO aircraft located two vessels that were sailing at high speed towards the town of Patillas, Puerto Rico.
The crew alerted the AMO Marine units in Fajardo and Ponce, maintaining vigilance to intercept the vessels. In US waters, a unit of the Marine Corps intercepted a twin-engine boat without resistance and arrested the two men on board. The other vessel was initially unable to move, then stopped by an AMO Marine Unit.
A search of the two vessels revealed hidden compartments, recovering bricks of cocaine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) took custody of the narcotics for investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested the four men for prosecution.
On May 28, AMO and the Puerto Rico Police seized 4,616 pounds (2,094 kilograms) of cocaine found inside a boat that landed on the southeast coast of Puerto Rico.
