Brother of Drug Lord Arrested on Cruise Ship

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Luis Figueroa Agosto onboard the Caribbean Princess Cruise Ship as it sailed to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Luis Figueroa Agosto is the younger brother of Jose Figueroa Agosto who was arrested in July after escaping from a Puerto Rican prison in 1999. Authorities say Jose moved to the Dominican Republic under an alias and became a major drug kingpin in the region. After his arrest in July he was found guilty of murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking and is serving a 209-year prison sentence.

Luis is accused of helping his older brother run the huge operation, smuggling large quantities of cocaine from the Dominican Republic and South America to Puerto Rico where other drug smugglers sent it to the U.S. mainland. The trafficking ring is thought to be the largest in the region.

Officials say Luis had no criminal history and was less well known than his boisterous older brother, keeping a low profile as the owner of a body shop in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Luis Figueroa was on a family vacation with his wife, two children and in-laws Monday when he was arrested. A dozen more were arrested in Puerto Rico Monday in connection with the drug ring; authorities are still searching for five more suspects.

Photo: Caribbean Princess