San Juan, PR - On Oct. 15, while performing inspectional duties on a vessel arriving from Caucedo, Dominican Republic, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers with the use of non-intrusive inspection equipment discovered 55 kilos of cocaine in a cargo container.
CBP officers noticed an anomaly on one of the containers and selected it for further inspection. Based on their findings they decided to open and physically inspect the contents.
When the container was opened a total of two (2) duffel bags containing brick shaped objects were found inside. The officers discovered 50 bricks inside the bags that, when probed, tested positive for cocaine.
A similar seizure was performed about a month ago on another container also arriving from Caucedo in the Dominican Republic. San Juan Director of Field Operations, Marcelino Borges, stated: "CBP officers continue to work around the clock, day and night, to prevent contraband from entering our country. These seizures are evidence of these efforts. Our goal is to stop these illegal narcotics from reaching our communities."
While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in numerous enforcement activities, to include narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration law, protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases, and enforcing trade laws.