US Customs and Border Protection Seizes 49 Bricks of Cocaine

Late last night, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine assets seized 49 bricks of narcotics on board a “yola” type near the southwest coast of the island.  The 57 kilos/125 pounds have an estimated value of 1.5 million

A CBP surveillance aircraft on a routine patrol detected a vessel 21 nautical miles south west of Combate beach in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico traveling northeasterly towards the island coast without navigational lights.

CBP air interdiction agents maintained the vessel under surveillance, coordinating an interdiction by a Mayaguez CBP vessel who intercepted a 22-foot “yola” type wooden vessel 10 nautical miles off the coast of Cabo Rojo.

CBP detained the vessel with two individuals, who claimed to be citizens of the Dominican Republic, and found two bales of suspected contraband. 

Inside the bales 49 bricks of suspected narcotics field-tested positive to cocaine.

The detained individuals and the contraband were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.

The Caribbean Air and Marine Branch (CAMB) is an integral part of the world’s largest aviation and maritime law enforcement organization. 

CBP Air and Marine mission is to protect the American people and Nation’s critical infrastructure through the coordinated use of integrated air and marine forces to detect, interdict and prevent acts of terrorism and the unlawful movement of people, illegal drugs and other contraband toward or across the borders of the United States.