$3.5 Million In Cocaine Seized Off Puerto Rico

United States authorities seized cocaine with an estimated wholesale value of $3.5 Million after detecting a suspicious go-fast vessel in international waters north of Dorado, Puerto Rico. A United States Coast Guard release said the incident occurred on October 13. The Coast Guard cutter, Joseph Napier, and a Customs and Border Protection aircraft responded. During the pursuit of the suspicious vessel, the law enforcement authorities observed passengers on board throwing suspected contraband cargo overboard. Following the interdiction, cutter Joseph Napier’s crew recovered six bales and a single package of the jettisoned cargo weighing 301 kg, which tested positive for cocaine. The six persons onboard the vessel were apprehended. The U.S. law enforcers transferred the suspects to FBI Special Agents in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and offloaded the cocaine there on Saturday. The apprehended smugglers are facing federal prosecution in Puerto Rico on criminal charges, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. The charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of imprisonment for life. The article $3.5 Million In Cocaine Seized Off Puerto Rico is from St. Lucia Times.