524 kilos of cocaine seized and three Dominicans arrested in Puerto Rican waters

San Juan.- Federal authorities intercepted a vessel with 524 kilograms of cocaine and arrested three Dominicans on board near the southwest coast of Puerto Rico, reported this Wednesday Customs and Border Protection (CBP, in English).

An aircraft from Caribbean Air and Maritime Operations detected on Tuesday night a yola-type boat of 30 feet (9 meters) with two outboard motors sailing north, about 22 miles (40 kilometers) south of Cabo Rojo. According to the CBP statement, a coastal interceptor vessel was deployed, supported by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which managed to stop the vessel. Inside, the agents found three citizens of the Dominican Republic without the proper documentation to enter or remain legally in United States.

In addition, they were carrying 22 bales of contraband and an AR-15 rifle.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) took custody of the three foreigners and the rifle, while the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) did the same with the narcotics. Due to its strategic location, Puerto Rico is a transshipment point for the smuggling of illegal drugs to the U.S. from Central and South America and other Caribbean countries.

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This Wednesday, the Puerto Rico Police found a shipment of 47 kilograms of cocaine, valued at $516,000, inside a boat on the ramp of Playa Villa Pesquera in Isabela (northwest). Two days ago, CBP agents seized 230 kilos of cocaine, valued at $4.2 million, on a vessel southwest of Black Eagle beach in the municipality of Rincón, on the west side of the island.