OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:27 PM – Wednesday, October 2, 2024
The United States Coast Guard seized almost 400 pounds of cocaine from a boat in Puerto Rico. Two men are now in custody by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in connection to the case.
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On September 28th, the Coast Guard said that they were alerted after noticing a suspicious vessel in the international waters.
The boat was steering towards Rincón, Puerto Rico, the agency continued in a news release on Wednesday. The “Joseph Tezanos,” a 154-foot fast response cutter craft ported in San Juan, Puerto Rico, soon diverted in order to intercept the vessel.
The Joseph Tezanos stopped and searched the vessel where Coast Guard crew members found 142 “brick-sized packages of suspected contraband” inside the boat.
The Coast Guard noted that the suspicious-looking found packages had tested positive for cocaine and they were estimated to be valued at $4.3 million.
Following the discovery, two men who were on the boat were taken into custody by the DEA.
The arrested men are both United States citizens and they now face a string of federal charges, including possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
The federal charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow said in a news release that they appreciate the hard work by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“I congratulate the United States Coast Guard personnel for this successful interdiction of an international drug smuggling venture,” said Muldrow. “We greatly appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard’s unwavering support and dedication to keeping Puerto Rico and our nation safe.”
The seizure was carried out as part of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force, which brings together task forces from various agencies to combat the flow of illegal drugs in the region. The task force includes representatives from the DEA, FBI, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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