ICE, Caribbean Corridor Strike Force seize 2,425 pounds of cocaine, arrest 3

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) partners, seized 2,425 pounds of cocaine and arrested 3 individuals for drug trafficking following an at-sea interdiction March 18 south of the island of Vieques. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $30 million.

On March 18, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) marine patrol aircraft detected a vessel of approximately 40 feet in length with two outboard engines and two subjects onboard, traveling northbound and without navigation lights towards the coast of Vieques. The patrol aircraft maintained constant surveillance of the vessel as CBP marine units responded and intercepted the suspicious vessel for further inspection. The inspection of the boat yielded 42 bales of cocaine weighing approximately 2,425 pounds. The HSI investigation is ongoing.

If convicted, those arrested could face a sentence from 10 years up to life in prison.

The CCSF is an initiative of the U.S. Attorney's Office created to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating in the Caribbean. It is part of the 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 of HSI, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Coast Guard, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Police Department’s (PRPD) Joint Forces for Rapid Action.