Border Patrol Seizes $14.8 Million in Cocaine, Apprehend 17 Illegal Migrants in Puerto Rico

U.S. Border Patrol agents and Puerto Rico Police Department FURA units carried out significant operations on January 9, seizing 1,640 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $14.8 million and apprehending 17 illegal migrants from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. These efforts took place during separate incidents along Puerto Rico’s coastline, underscoring a continued focus on combating illegal activity in the region.

Early in the morning, FURA’s Arecibo Marine Unit identified a vessel without navigation lights heading southeast toward Barceloneta. Despite an attempt to intercept, the vessel reached Puerto Las Vacas Beach, where three individuals fled. Border Patrol agents and other agencies discovered an abandoned 23-foot fiberglass boat with two Yamaha outboard engines. A subsequent search led to the seizure of 19 bales of suspected cocaine. The contraband was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further examination.

Later that morning, another operation took place near Maria’s Beach in Rincón. A FURA marine unit, supported by CBP Air and Marine Operations, pursued a Yola vessel 10 nautical miles north of Desecheo Island. Although the vessel evaded interception, agents later found it near the beach, where they apprehended 17 illegal migrants: 11 adult men and three adult women from the Dominican Republic, along with three adult men from Haiti. All were transported to the Ramey Border Patrol Station for processing and removal.

These operations highlight the ongoing challenges of securing Puerto Rico’s coastal borders, an area patrolled by the Ramey Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol. The sector is responsible for safeguarding a vast expanse of water and land covering over 6,000 square miles, making it the only Border Patrol sector located outside the continental United States.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors.

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