Coast Guard Catches Cocaine Smuggler Who Stowed Away on Barge in San Juan
Coast Guard Station San Juan has busted another barge-borne smuggler - this time, a trafficker of cocaine rather than people.
On January 28, the Jones Act tug Signet Thunder was inbound and approaching San Juan's Old Army Terminal, bringing the barge San Juan-JaxBridge in tow. At about 0548 hours, the crew of the tug contacted the Coast Guard on Channel 16. They reported that a crewmember from an assist tug had gone aboard the barge - standard for line-handling - and had spotted a stowaway.
To prevent the individual's escape, the tug crew held position in the harbor instead of berthing alongside at the terminal. Station San Juan launched a response boat to the scene, and alerted the San Juan office of Customs and Border Protection and the local police force. Multiple marine units responded to the call. As a precautionary measure, the station staff issued a broadcast to shipping to watch out for signs of distress in the harbor.
Shortly after arrival, the Coast Guard boat crew spotted one individual in the water, along with 10 bales of suspected drugs. They recovered the packages from the water and returned to the pier. On weighing, the packages turned out to come to about 358 kilos, valued at about $5 million wholesale.
Multiple agents boarded the tug and barge and conducted a thorough search. No further evidence of smuggling was found, nor other stowaways.
"We commend the actions of the tugboat Signet Thunder, which reflect positively on the maritime community and the important role they play in safeguarding our nation’s navigable waterways. We are proud to stand the watch alongside our Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and our local law enforcement partners," said sector response chief Cmdr. Matthew Romano (USCG).
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Barge stowaways are an occasional issue in San Juan harbor, which receives traffic from around the Caribbean. Two stowaways were saved from the harbor's waters by coastguardsmen last December, then detained for processing. In 2023, three stowaways jumped off a barge under tow by the tug Sarah Dann, and nine others were found aboard the tow.
All would-be migrants face removal under federal policy, with repatriation either to their home nation or the place where they boarded as stowaways