Aguadilla, P.R. - Early this morning, Border Patrol agents apprehended 10 aliens, 2 citizens of Haiti and 8 citizens of the Dominican Republic, after landing on board a makeshift vessel or "yola" on the western coast of the island.
Border Patrol agents were able to intercept a green colored Hyundai Accent auto traveling east on Road 111, towards the town of Moca, driven by a U.S. citizen.
Ramey Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended seven other aliens near the landing site of La Boquilla beach in the municipality of Añasco.
The group of aliens is composed of two citizens of Haiti (one male, one female) and eight citizens of the Dominican Republic (all males).
The vehicle's driver, 39 years old and a resident of Aguadilla, could face charges for alien smuggling.
In the early morning hours, a Puerto Rico Police Department FURA aircraft detected an abandoned "yola" on the coast of Añasco and immediately contacting the Ramey station.
PRPD and Border Patrol agents regularly search the landing area.
The aliens were transported to the Ramey station in Aguadilla for processing and immigration interviews.
Since its inception in July 2006, CBIG has worked to unify law enforcement efforts to gain operational control of the nations borders.
About the Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG):
The concept of CBIG resulted from a March 2006 collaboration of local Homeland Security components that effectively stemmed the increased flow of traffic across the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In July 2006, CBIG is organized of such agencies as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (with its three operational components Border Patrol, Field Operations and Air & Marine Operations), Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Police Department's Joint Forces for Rapid Action (FURA, for its Spanish Acronym).