Three Dominicans and one American were intercepted on a boat en route to the country while carrying more than $300,000, weapons and ammunition.
Puerto Rico Border Patrol Agents seized $349,950, the 18-foot red homemade boat, two outboard motors, 2 firearms, 3 magazines, 71 cartridges, a tablet, a GPS and two cell phones.
On March 2, Ramey Station agents detected a vessel leaving, heading west, four miles from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, without navigation lights. Agents contacted a FURA marine unit and coordinated a successful interception.
“This intercept demonstrates that Transnational Criminal Organizations will attempt any means to cross international borders in an attempt to evade detection,” said Scott Garrett, Acting Chief Border Patrol Agent for the Ramey Border Patrol Sector.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assumed custody of the contraband and individuals for investigation and prosecution.
The Ramey Sector is one of twenty sectors spread across the United States. Encompassing the US territorial islands of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it is the only Border Patrol sector located outside the continental United States.
The entire border zone of the sector is made up of coastline and its area of responsibility is made up of some 6,000 square miles of land and water surface, including the twelve-mile strip of territorial waters that surrounds the islands.
