The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier transferred custody of 79 kilograms of cocaine and nine suspects to federal authorities in Puerto Rico on Monday.
The seized contraband is estimated to have a wholesale value of $829 thousand dollars, and the interdiction is the result of multi-agency efforts involving Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy, the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force Initiative and Operation Unified Resolve.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, in collaboration with the Coast Guard Investigative Service and Homeland Security Investigations, is leading the investigation in this case.
During the morning of Aug. 5, 2024, the aircrew of Customs and Border Protection multirole enforcement aircraft detected a suspect vessel, approximately 67 nautical miles north of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. A Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft also responded and maintained aerial surveillance of the suspect vessel as the cutter Joseph Napier approached the area. Once on scene, the cutter Joseph Napier crew observed the occupants of the suspect vessel jettison multiple packages overboard shortly before stopping the vessel. Following the interdiction, the cutter Joseph Napier crew embarked eight men and a woman from the suspect vessel, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals. The cutter crew also recovered three bales of the jettisoned cargo which tested positive for cocaine.
Cutter Joseph Napier’s crew transported the suspected smugglers and seized contraband to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were transferred to Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration special agents.
“The successful outcome in this case was achieved through the close coordination and collaboration between the Coast Guard and our partner agencies, who work daily to detect and stop illegal smuggling activities in the Mona Passage,” said Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Sector San Juan chief of response. “Our interagency efforts with federal, local and regional partners in our area of responsibility is critical to protecting the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from this threat as well as safeguarding the security and stability of the Caribbean region.”
“In the face of adversity, our resolve strengthens,” stated DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster. “Together, with unwavering determination and steadfast collaboration, we will dismantle the networks of crime that threaten our communities and tarnish the fabric of our society. Our commitment to justice knows no bounds, and we will relentlessly pursue those responsible for perpetuating violence and addiction. We stand united, resolute in our mission to safeguard the safety and well-being of all.”