In a significant drug bust, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has arrested three Venezuelan nationals and seized over 1,000 pounds of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea. The operation took place on July 12, when agents from CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) detected a suspicious vessel approximately six nautical miles south of Punta Tuna, Maunabo, Puerto Rico. Upon pursuing the yola-type vessel, AMO agents intercepted it after it attempted to land at Playa Mario. The three individuals aboard were arrested for lacking legal documentation to enter the United States and attempting to evade capture. Authorities confiscated 16 bales of cocaine, totaling 1,009 pounds with an estimated street value of $8.2 million. The detainees and the narcotics have since been handed over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for further investigation and prosecution.
