SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier transferred custody of 79 kilograms of cocaine and nine suspects to federal authorities in Puerto Rico, Monday.
The seized contraband is estimated to have a wholesale value of $829 thousand, and the interdiction is the result of multi-agency efforts involving Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy, the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force Initiative and Operation Unified Resolve.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, in collaboration with the Coast Guard Investigative Service and Homeland Security Investigations, is leading the investigation in this case.
During the morning of August 5, 2024, the aircrew of Customs and Border Protection multirole enforcement aircraft detected a suspect vessel, approximately 67 nautical miles north of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. A Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft also responded and maintained aerial surveillance of the suspect vessel as the cutter Joseph Napier approached the area. Once on scene, the cutter Joseph Napier crew observed the occupants of the suspect vessel jettison multiple packages overboard shortly before stopping the vessel. Following the interdiction, the cutter Joseph Napier crew embarked eight men and a woman from the suspect vessel, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals. The cutter crew also recovered three bales of the jettisoned cargo which tested positive for cocaine.
Cutter Joseph Napier’s crew transported the suspected smugglers and seized contraband to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were transferred to Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration special agents.
“The successful outcome in this case was achieved through the close coordination and collaboration between the Coast Guard and our partner agencies, who work daily to detect and stop illegal smuggling activities in the Mona Passage,” said Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Sector San Juan chief of response. “Our interagency efforts with federal, local and regional partners in our area of responsibility is critical to protecting the people of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands from this threat as well as safeguarding the security and stability of the Caribbean region.”
“In the face of adversity, our resolve strengthens,” stated DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster. “Together, with unwavering determination and steadfast collaboration, we will dismantle the networks of crime that threaten our communities and tarnish the fabric of our society. Our commitment to justice knows no bounds, and we will relentlessly pursue those responsible for perpetuating violence and addiction. We stand united, resolute in our mission to safeguard the safety and well-being of all.”
The Coast Guard’s efforts under Operation Unified Resolve contribute to the interagency results being achieved daily under Operation Caribbean Guard, which coordinates efforts between the Coast Guard, DHS, and Commonwealth and Territorial law enforcement partners, who are working diligently to deter, detect and disrupt illicit maritime trafficking to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The Caribbean Corridor Strike Force is an initiative of the US attorney’s office created to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating in the Caribbean. CCSF is part of the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) that investigates South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics using the Caribbean as a transshipment point for further distribution to the United States.
The initiative is composed by the US attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, CBP and Puerto Rico Police Department’s Joint Forces for Rapid Action.
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