SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection law enforcement personnel seized approximately 125 pounds of cocaine Friday morning aboard the Isleño ferry in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
The seized contraband was estimated to have a wholesale value of approximately 1.42 million dollars.
A Coast Guard boarding team, conducting a surveillance patrol with a CBP officer/K-9 team at the Fajardo ferry terminal, conducted a pier-side boarding of the Isleño, after passengers had disembarked from the vessel. While searching aboard the vessel, the Coast Guard and CBP law enforcement team located two suitcases in plain view that were found to contain 50 wrapped packages of suspected contraband. A field test conducted at the scene revealed the contents of the packages to be cocaine.
Coast Guard boarding team personnel were assisted by Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action during the transport and transfer of the illegal drug shipment to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigation Special Agents, who are leading the investigation.