Caribbean Corridor Strike Force Law Enforcement Authorities Arrest Six Smugglers, Seize $3.2 Million Cocaine and Heroin Shipment off the Coast of Dorado
The Drug Shipment was Estimated to Have a Street Value of Over $3.2 Million

SAN JUAN—Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) law enforcement authorities, working in support of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) law enforcement authorities, arrested six Dominican suspected smugglers, seizing a boat and a drug shipment of approximately 322 pounds of cocaine and 19 pounds of heroin during a maritime interdiction Thursday evening off the northern coast of Dorado, Puerto Rico, said United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Tiffany is in charge of the prosecution of this case.

The crew of a Customs and Border Protection marine patrol aircraft detected six men aboard a suspicious 21-foot-blue and white yola (boat) approximately 17 nautical miles from the coast of Dorado. Special agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) marine patrol aircraft vectored in a Coast Guard Station San Juan 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement (SPC-LE), a Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit, and a CBP UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to interdict the suspect vessel.

The crew of the CBP marine patrol aircraft observed the men onboard the suspect vessel jettison suspicious objects overboard after they noticed the presence of law enforcement authorities in the area.

The crew of the Coast Guard response boat interdicted the suspect vessel and detained the six men onboard approximately four nautical miles off the coast of Dorado. Meanwhile, the crew of the Puerto Rico Police marine unit recovered six bales from the water that had been thrown overboard from the suspect vessel. A further inspection of the recovered bales revealed 132 bricks of a substance that appeared to be cocaine and six packages of a substance that appeared to be heroin; samples of both field tested positive for the presence of cocaine and heroin.

The crew of a Coast Guard 33-foot response boat rendezvoused with the Coast Guard Cutter Cushing and transferred custody of the six men Thursday night to run a biometrics background checks on each suspect in order to verify whether any of the suspected smugglers had previous criminal or illegal immigration history with the U.S. government. The crew of the Coast Guard response boat then proceeded to tow the seized vessel to Coast Guard Base, San Juan.

The crew of a Coast Guard 45-foot response boat rendezvoused with the Cushing Friday morning, embarked the suspected smugglers, and transported them to Coast Guard Base, San Juan, where they turned custody of the six Dominicans nationals to awaiting Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.

“We commend the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force for their successful operation and prompt arrest of these individuals. We will continue our efforts to eradicate drug trafficking in our communities and will not allow drug smugglers to import drug shipments into our jurisdiction,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Vélez.

“The outstanding efforts and collaboration between the federal and state law enforcement air and maritime crews are responsible for the successful interdiction, arrest, and seizure of contraband in this case,” said Captain Marc Stegman, Sector San Juan acting commander. “Federal and state law enforcement authorities are fully committed to ongoing interagency efforts to prevent illegal drug shipments from reaching our shores and bringing those responsible to justice.”

In July 2006, CBIG was formally created to unify efforts of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Office of Border Patrol-Ramey Sector, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA) in their common goal of securing the borders of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands against illegal migrant and drug smuggling.

The Caribbean Corridor Strike Force is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative that investigates South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics utilizing the Caribbean as a transshipment point for further distribution to the United States. CCSF members are the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, ICE-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Puerto Rico Police.