TOP STORY: ICE's takedown of criminals in the Caribbean featured on the Travel Channel
Two back-to-back episodes of Border Rico, broadcast on the Travel Channel Jan. 28, show special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on the front lines in Puerto Rico, arresting and disrupting drug trafficking and criminal organizations.
The Sting, which airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT, followed by Stranded at 10:30 ET/PT, was filmed at the height of the ICE-led Operation Caribbean Resilience, a multi-agency coordinated response to the destabilizing criminal activity in the region.
The law enforcement surges under Operation Caribbean Resilience began in January 2012 and targeted transnational criminal organizations and violent gang members for federal prosecution. Violent crime dropped so dramatically after the operation that former Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano expanded the operation through September 2013.
The coordinated law enforcement action of HSI and its local, state and federal partners resulted in the arrest of 886 criminals and the seizure of 648 firearms, more than $543,000 in total currency and more than 400 pounds of illegal drugs.
"The results of this operation show the commitment of HSI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard and that of our partners in the Puerto Rico Police Department and the Municipal Police of San Juan, Bayamon, Ponce and Toa Alta to rid our communities of individuals involved in criminal activity," said Angel M. Melendez, special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. "The hard work of HSI special agents and their partners has made our neighborhoods safer."
ICE continues to coordinate its efforts with our law enforcement partners in Puerto Rico to address violent crime on the island. The agency combats worldwide criminal organizations who seek to exploit America’s legitimate trade, travel and financial systems and enforces America’s customs and immigration laws at and beyond our nation’s borders.
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