CBP seizes cocaine shipments worth $13.2M near Puerto Rico

Oct. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted separate cocaine shipments with a combined value of $13.2 million intended for Puerto Rico over the past week.

"Our interdiction efforts show results in all coastal areas of the island as a testimony of our commitment to protect our borders from dangerous contraband," said Christopher Hunter, director of Air and Marine Operations in the Caribbean.

CBP Air and Marine Operations on Sunday detected a 20-foot vessel carrying two people heading west without any lights.

A marine interdiction unit boarded the vessel near Culebra Island and found two men who said they are from the Dominican Republic.

The unit also found three bags containing 59 bricks of cocaine and valued at $1.3 million.

Homeland Security Investigations took custody of the two men and the suspected cocaine for further investigation and prosecution.

The CBP AMO on Oct. 2 intercepted a vessel carrying 1,321 pounds of cocaine valued at $11.9 million.

The crew of a CBP maritime enforcement aircraft detected a vessel heading east toward Puerto Rico and coordinated with a surface vessel to intercept the craft about 16 miles east of Desecheo Island.

The crew of the coastal interceptor vessel found three men who said they are from the Dominican Republic on the suspect vessel.

A search revealed 17 bales containing bricks of suspected cocaine.

The three men and their contraband were turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation and prosecution.