U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a vessel carrying 18 pounds of cocaine, valued at $4.2 million, after it was found beached near Black Eagle Beach in Rincón.
On Sunday, agents with CBP’s Caribbean Air and Marine Operations detected the suspicious vessel about 3 nautical miles southwest of the beach. The 22-foot white boat, powered by a 60-horsepower engine, had run aground along the shoreline.
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Agents discovered eight bales of cocaine on board. The narcotics were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further processing.
The seizure took place in the Ramey Sector, which covers Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is the only Border Patrol sector located outside the continental U.S., overseeing roughly 6,000 square miles of land and sea.
This latest bust follows several major drug interdictions in recent months:
In May, the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier offloaded around 725 pounds of seized cocaine in Puerto Rico, worth an estimated $5.4 million.
On April 28, CBP’s Air and Marine Operations detected a 35-foot “go-fast” boat in international waters north of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, carrying suspicious cargo.
Authorities continue to monitor the Caribbean region closely, citing increased attempts at maritime drug trafficking through U.S. territorial waters.
