U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found 450 pounds of cocaine hidden in a container chassis aboard the Teo Shipping Corp. merchant vessel Blue Wave arriving in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tuesday from the Dominican Republic.
According to a Wednesday news release from CBP, the contraband is estimated to be valued at $4 million. The San Juan A-TCET Vessel Search Team boarded the vessel at Pier 15 for a walk-through inspection on Tuesday. There, officers found anomalies in the chassis of a container that was scheduled for unlading.
After further inspection, the officers found 183 bricks of a substance that tested positive for cocaine. Homeland Security Investigations is in charge of the investigation.
“The significant seizure of 450 pounds of cocaine by our dedicated CBP officers in San Juan underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our borders and keeping our communities safe,” said Roberto Vaquero, director of field operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, in the news release. “This finding demonstrates the relentless efforts of our team to intercept and dismantle drug trafficking networks that threaten the security of our nation.”
DHS Press Officer Jeffrey Quinones told FreightWaves that no arrests have been made in the incident.
“HSI is investigating the case,” Quinones said. “Literally it was a cold hit.”
The drug bust comes days after the U.S. Coast Guard seized $7.4 million in cocaine and arrested nine smugglers from a vessel sailing approximately 75 nautical miles south of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, in a separate incident on June 3.
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