2 men arrested near Puerto Rico with 65 bricks of cocaine in boat

July 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have arrested two men in a boat near Puerto Rico with 65 bricks of cocaine valued at some $1.4 million in their vessel, authorities said.

Agents with the law enforcement's Air and Marine Operations apprehended the unidentified pair early Monday near Mona Island, which lies between the Dominican Republic to the west and Puerto Rico's main island of Puerto Rico to the east, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

The craft the two men were traveling in was described as a "yola" makeshift vessel with the bricks of cocaine found in three bales on deck.

Officials said the "lights-out vessel" was spotted northeast of Mona Island by a AMO aircraft during a routine patrol. The plane then maintained surveillance of the boat as an AMO Marine team reached the location where agents apprehended the two man onboard and seized the narcotics.

The announcement comes two weeks after the U.S. Coast Guard said it had offloaded in Puerto Rico some 2,024 pounds of cocaine worth more than $23 million.

The drugs were seized with aid of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft on June 18 in the Caribbean Sea south of Puerto Rico, officials said, adding four smugglers were also arrested.