CBP Seizes 49 Bricks of cocaine

125 Pounds Have an Estimated Value of $1.5 Million

Aguadilla, Puerto Rico – Late Tuesday night, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine assets seized 49 bricks of narcotics on board a boat near the southwest coast of the island.

A Mayaguez CBP vessel intercepted a 22-foot “yola” type wooden vessel 10 nautical miles off the coast of Cabo Rojo after spotting the vessel traveling without required navigational lights.

A CBP surveillance aircraft on a routine patrol detected a vessel 21 nautical miles southwest of Combate beach in Cabo Rojo traveling northeasterly toward the island coast without navigational lights.

CBP air interdiction agents maintained the vessel under surveillance, coordinating an interdiction by a Mayaguez CBP vessel which intercepted the 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 field-tested positive for cocaine.

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

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

CBP Air and Marine’s 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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.