Coast Guard redeems $4.3 million in seized cocaine and transfers two smugglers to DEA custody in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Joseph Tezanos offloaded 388 pounds (176 kg) of seized cocaine and transferred custody of two smugglers to DEA special agents in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on Sunday.

The interdiction is the result of multi-agency efforts in support of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force, while the seized cocaine is estimated to have a wholesale value of $4.8 million dollars. The seized cocaine is estimated to have a wholesale value of $4.3 million.

The arrested smugglers are U.S. citizens who face federal prosecution in Puerto Rico on criminal charges including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance on board a vessel under the jurisdiction of the United States. The charge carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena B. Daniel and Max Pérez-Bouret, Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, are prosecuting the case.

On the morning of September 28, the crew of a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft spotted a suspicious 20-foot sport vessel in international waters en route to Rincón, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard rangers in Sector San Juan diverted the cutter Joseph Tezanos arriving on the scene and stopped the suspect vessel. Once alongside the suspect vessel, the Coast Guard crew found 142 brick-sized packages of suspected contraband inside the vessel, which tested positive for cocaine. The two people on board the ship have been arrested.

“I am extremely proud of my crew for their response and professionalism in disrupting organized crime in U.S. waters,” said Lt. Kali B. Carmine, Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos, commanding officer. “This successful interdiction and seizure underscores the collaboration and commitment of our federal, local and regional partners in combating the flow of narcotics within the Caribbean, particularly the Mona Passage.”

“I congratulate the United States Coast Guard personnel on this successful interdiction of an international drug trafficking ring,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “We greatly appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard’s continued support and dedication to keeping Puerto Rico and our nation safe.”

“This operation underscores the incredible power of cooperation between agencies like the DEA, the Coast Guard and our federal and local partners. This joint effort allows us to effectively combat transnational criminal organizations and disrupt their illegal activities. The teamwork demonstrated in this case is a shining example of how, when we work together with a shared mission, we strengthen our ability to protect the citizens of Puerto Rico, the U.S. mainland and beyond from the scourge of drug trafficking. These partnerships are not only critical, they are the cornerstone of our success in keeping our communities safe,” said Denise Foster, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Caribbean Division.

This interdiction, seizure and prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the creation of permanent multi-agency task force teams working side by side at the same location. This co-located model allows agents from different agencies to work together on intelligence-led, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle major drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) is to identify, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The CCSF consists of agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the United States Marshals Service, and leads the prosecution by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos is a 150-foot fast response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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