Border Agents Intercept Suspicious Boat, Seize Cocaine Worth $6 Million Hidden Inside

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers made another massive bust this week, seizing 11 bales of cocaine weighing 663.15 pounds hidden on a boat traveling near Puerto Rico.

According to a CBP press release, “a CBP P3 aircraft detected a vessel approximately 43 miles south of Ponce, navigating north.”

“The crew from the Ponce CBP Air and Marine Operations Marine Unit deployed an interceptor vessel assisted by the P3 and intercepted a 27′ blue and white vessel, with two 75 HP Yamaha outboard motors. On board CBP found two males who are citizens of the Dominican Republic.

“A Border Patrol K9 alerted positive for the scent of narcotics inside the vessel.”

Two non-citizens from the Dominican Republic were arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCFS).

CBP estimated the street value of the seized cocaine at around $6 million.

Earlier this year in another major drug bust, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO) intercepted and seized 3,768 pounds of cocaine within 74 bales that were hidden inside a go fast vessel with a street value of $42.7 million.

On the evening of April 17, an AMO DHC-8 Marine Patrol Aircraft detected a twin engine, center console vessel, approximately 30 feet in length with two occupants traveling north towards Puerto Rico without navigations lights.

While maintaining surveillance of the vessel the AMO aircraft assisted Fajardo and Ponce based Marine Interceptor units to reach the suspect vessel. Marine Interceptor units reached the vessel with blue lights and siren. The vessel failed to heave.

After a short pursuit, the CBP Interceptor deployed two warning shots and disabling shots to the vessel’s engines, stopping approximately 3nm south of Maunabo, Puerto Rico. CBP Agents boarded the suspect vessel and arrested two occupants inside who claimed to be nationals of the Dominican Republic; finding 40 bales of narcotics.

The massive amount of illegal drugs seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on a monthly basis is staggering.

For example, in a press release published this week by the CBP at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California, a total of 2,627.80 pounds of narcotics was seized in 50 separate incidents of people attempting to gain entry into the United States from Mexico in just the month of July alone.