U.S. Coast Guard BUSTS Smugglers with MASSIVE Cocaine Haul in Puerto Rico!
Authorities swoop in on a daring high-seas bust, seizing nearly 174 pounds of cocaine from smugglers off Puerto Rico’s coast! 🌐 #News #SanJuanPR #PuertoRico #Crime
SAN JUAN, PR – The U.S. Coast Guard said nine suspects and approximately 174 pounds of cocaine were turned over to federal authorities in Puerto Rico on Monday after a multi-agency interdiction in the Caribbean earlier this month.
The Coast Guard said a Customs and Border Protection aircraft spotted a suspect vessel on the morning of Aug. 5, approximately 67 nautical miles north of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
A Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft maintained surveillance of the vessel while the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier appraoched.
The Joseph Napier crew “observed the occupants of the suspect vessel jettison multiple packages overboard” before they stopped their vessel. Eight men and a woman from the suspect vessel, who said they were Dominican Republic nationals, were taken aboard the Joseph Napier.
The cutter crew recovered three bales of the jettisoned cargo, which tested positive for cocaine. In total, the crew recovered 79 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated wholesale value of $829,000.
“The successful outcome in this case was achieved through the close coordination and collaboration between the Coast Guard and our partner agencies, who work daily to detect and stop illegal smuggling activities in the Mona Passage,” Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Sector San Juan chief of response, said in a statement.
“Our interagency efforts with federal, local and regional partners in our area of responsibility is critical to protecting the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from this threat as well as safeguarding the security and stability of the Caribbean region.”
The seized drugs and suspected smugglers were turned over to the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration special agents in San Juan.
“In the face of adversity, our resolve strengthens,” said DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster.
“Together, with unwavering determination and steadfast collaboration, we will dismantle the networks of crime that threaten our communities and tarnish the fabric of our society. Our commitment to justice knows no bounds, and we will relentlessly pursue those responsible for perpetuating violence and addiction.”
Written by TMX staff, with additional reporting by Jack and Kitty Norton.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
We value your feedback! Did you find this article informative, inspiring, or thought-provoking? Leave a comment below and join the discussion. We appreciate your opinion and look forward to hearing from you!
