Ramey Border Patrol Agents Seize 918 Kilos of Cocaine

Three citizens of the Dominican Republic arrested

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Four individuals landing a boat in the southern coast of Puerto Rico were caught and arrested by Customs and Border Protection's U.S. Border Patrol agents and the Puerto Rico Police Department yesterday after landing with a load of 918.7 kilos (2,025 pounds) of cocaine.

Border Patrol agents observed a 33-foot Eduardoño-type vessel with two outboard engines reaching the shores of Tuna Beach in the town of Maunabo, requesting immediate assistance from Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA, for its Spanish acronym) agents.

Border Patrol and FURA agents found 33 bales containing 811 bricks of cocaine as well as a Ford Expedition with 15 gasoline containers.

Three individuals claiming to be from the Dominican Republic were arrested; Cecilio Mercedes-De La Cruz, Jose Miguel Guzman-De Los Santos and Victor Manuel Carela.

The estimated value of the seized cocaine is $22,950,000.

The vessel, subjects, vehicle, and contraband will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for prosecution and disposition.

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.

U.S. Border Patrol Agents Intercept Maritime Smuggling Attempt Near Imperial Beach

San Diego — U.S. Border Patrol agents thwarted a human maritime smuggling attempt and arrested a male U.S. citizen and his female passenger early Thursday morning.

At about 12 a.m., Border Patrol agents were alerted by members of the California National Guard’s Counterdrug program working in support of Customs and Border Protection regarding a Zodiac boat with no running lights approximately two miles west of the Imperial Beach pier. Border Patrol agents aboard a vessel from the Border Search Trauma and Rescue unit approached the inflatable boat and performed an immigration inspection. Agents determined that the vessel operator was a 38-year-old male United States citizen. His 22 year-old-female passenger was a Honduran citizen who had entered the U.S. illegally through the maritime domain.

The two individuals were transported to a local Border Patrol station for processing and further investigation. The male U.S. citizen is being held in Department of Homeland Security custody and faces criminal charges for alien smuggling. The female Honduran citizen is being processed for formal deportation. The boat was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.

If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of Southern California, please contact the Sector San Diego U.S. Coast Guard Joint Harbor Operations Center at (800) 854-9834.

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 official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Border Patrol Agents Apprehend 19 Cuban Migrants in the Florida Keys

Pembroke Pines, Fla. — Yesterday Border Patrol agents assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol’s Miami Sector apprehended 19 Cuban nationals on Boot Key near Marathon, Fla.

The group of 19 Cuban nationals consisted of 10 adult males, 8 adult females, and one minor accompanied by a parent. All appeared to be in good health and uninjured. None required medical treatment.

Agents took custody of the migrants and transported them to the Marathon Station for processing. The 19 migrants were confirmed as citizens of Cuba and released in accordance with the Cuban Readjustment Act.

The subjects claimed to have traveled to the United States in a rustic vessel; however, none was found in the area where the migrants were discovered.

Assistance was provided by local law enforcement partners from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection Office of Field operations, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

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 official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

U.S. Border Patrol Agents Seize $2.4M of Narcotics by Land and Sea

San Diego – Law enforcement officials intercepted three smuggling attempts over the last week in San Diego and Ventura Counties. Agents arrested 22 suspects and confiscated $2,404,185 in marijuana and methamphetamine. 

Tuesday at approximately 12:30 a.m., California National Guardsmen working in support of Customs and Border Protection alerted Border Patrol agents assigned to coastal enforcement duties of a panga landing near Deer Creek beach in Ventura County. Border Patrol agents responded to the scene and, through the collaborative efforts of several agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, California National Guard, California State Parks and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, arrested 20 suspected smugglers and confiscated 4,087 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $2,048,095. The 20 suspects, narcotics, and boat were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) for further investigation.

On Monday, at about 11:30 a.m., agents assigned to the Interstate 5 Border Patrol checkpoint encountered a 22-year-old male United States citizen driving a silver 2000 Mazda 626 and his 21-year-old male United States citizen passenger. Agents became suspicious of the men’s demeanor and referred them for a secondary inspection. A Border Patrol K-9 performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle resulting in an alert. Agents searched the vehicle and discovered four bundles of methamphetamine inside the trunk in plastic grocery bags. The methamphetamine weighed 12.02 pounds and had an estimated street value of $240,400. The suspected smugglers and narcotics were taken into custody and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.

On June 8, at approximately 9:10 a.m., a Border Patrol K-9 team patrolling near the I-5 checkpoint stopped in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. As the agent exited the vehicle, his K-9 alerted to the trunk of a nearby silver 2011 Toyota Camry. A subsequent search of the trunk revealed nine bundles of marijuana. The bundles weighed 231.28 pounds and had an estimated street value of $115,690. The marijuana and vehicle were taken into custody and turned over to ICE HSI for further investigation.

If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of Southern California, please contact the Sector San Diego U.S. Coast Guard Joint Harbor Operations Center at (800) 854-9834.

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.

Federal Authorities Recover and Seize 1.4 Tons of Cocaine

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Federal law enforcement authorities seized Monday 1,288 kilograms (1.4 tons) of cocaine packaged in 50 large bales that were recovered from the sea south of St. Croix.

The announcement was made today by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

In the late Sunday evening hours, a CBP Caribbean Air and Marine Branch surveillance aircraft detected four men aboard a suspicious vessel, approximately 50 nautical miles south of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Upon detection the persons on board started to throw items overboard.

The crew of the Coast Guard Sapelo arrived on scene and began to recover the jettisoned cargo from the water. After searching all night and the following day with the assistance of a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, the crew of the Sapelo was able to recover 50 bales of suspected illegal contraband that had been thrown overboard from the suspect vessel. A further inspection and testing of the suspected drug shipment revealed the contraband to be cocaine.

The crew of a Coast Guard Cutter Sapelo transported the illegal drug shipment to Coast Guard Base San Juan Tuesday night, where they transferred custody to awaiting Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agents.

“This interdiction is part of CBP's continued effort to work with fellow federal, state, local, and international partners to combat individuals and criminal organizations that pose a threat to our communities,” indicated Johnny Morales, Director of Air Operations for CBP’s Caribbean Air and Marine Branch.

“This massive seizure of 1.4 tons of cocaine is a clear indication of the hard work and dedication that the DEA, the U.S. Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Police Department and Customs and Border Protection have in combining our resources,” said Drug Enforcement Administration, Caribbean Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Pedro Janer. “We will continue to stop these groups who think they can smuggle narcotics into Puerto Rico with flagrant disregard of our enforcement capabilities and our laws.”

“The outstanding efforts and collaboration between federal law enforcement authorities are responsible for this successful disruption and seizure, which prevented a major drug shipment from reaching our shores,” said Coast Guard Capt. Drew Pearson, Sector San Juan commander.

The combined federal law enforcement authorities believe that this is among the biggest drug seizures in the area for the past three years.

The Caribbean Air and Marine Branch (CAMB) is the only Federal law enforcement agency in the Caribbean Basin with integrated air and marine interdiction capabilities. It is charged with detection and interdiction of airborne and maritime smuggling and uses our organic radar facilities to detect and intercept air smuggling attempts, and airborne radar tracking aircraft to detect maritime smugglers.

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 official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.