The Air and Marine Operations component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may have ruined a major payday for drug traffickers when it interdicted a boat with millions of dollars' worth of alleged cocaine.
The vessel was caught with three "undocumented occupants" from Venezuela on Oct. 7 in the seas just below Guayanilla, a town in southern Puerto Rico, according to a CBP press release.
'This seizure reflects the value of coordinated maritime enforcement and the vigilance of our personnel and partner agencies.'
CBP said the vessel was a "Yola-type" boat, which is a small, often handmade open vessel composed of wood or fiberglass.
Ponce Marine Operations crews transported the vessel to the Ponce port of entry for further examination.
In the vessel, officials discovered about 1,309 pounds of alleged cocaine, which they estimate to be valued at $9.4 million. A field test confirmed it was cocaine, CBP claimed.
The investigation into the confiscated substance is being led by the Homeland Security Task Force, as well as the prosecution efforts.
"Air and Marine Operations remains committed to protecting Puerto Rico’s maritime borders and disrupting transnational criminal organizations that seek to move dangerous contraband through the Caribbean," said Caribbean Air and Marine Branch Director Christopher Hunter.
"This seizure reflects the value of coordinated maritime enforcement and the vigilance of our personnel and partner agencies," he added.
Allegedly drug-running vessels in the Caribbean have become a flash point among critics of the administration who allege that the military strikes on boats are extrajudicial.
The strikes on allegedly drug-running boats preceded a military operation in January in which U.S. troops captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and transported him to the U.S. for prosecution. In a superseding indictment announced on October 8, he and his wife have been charged with conspiring to commit torture, narcoterrorism, and other drug and weapons crimes.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!