US CBP AMO, FURA nab 62 bales of cocaine and arrest 3 alien smugglers near Cabo Rojo Puerto Rico

Air and Marine Operations (AMO), an operational component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, along with the Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces for Rapid Action (FURA, for its Spanish acronym) nabbed today a yola-type vessel in which 3 aliens, from Colombia and Panama, were found smuggling 62 bales of cocaine into Cabo Rojo.

During the morning hours of Aug. 6, a Caribbean Air and Marine Operations asset detected a suspect vessel navigating north, in direction to the municipalities of Lajas and Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.  The Michel Maceda Marine unit deployed the crew of a Coastal Interceptor Vessel crew as well as a FURA Marine unit.

AMO and FURA intercepted an Eduardoño yola-type vessel, 2 nautical miles from the coast near “la Pitahaya” sector of Cabo Rojo.  Marine Interdiction Agents arrested 2 Colombian and 1 Panamanian nationals, without proper documentation to enter or remain in the United States legally and seized a total of 60 extra-large bales and 2 large bales of cocaine.

The aliens and the contraband were transferred to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for investigation and prosecution.

Th 60 bales contained 1,789.1 kilograms (3,944.3 pounds) of cocaine. The estimated value of the seized contraband is approximately $30.4 million.