US Coast Guard detains for federal prosecution eight men said to be Dominican Republic nationals
The United States (US) Coast Guard reportedly seized cocaine worth an estimated US$3.1 million during the interdiction of a vessel near Puerto Rico last Thursday (August 26).
Eight men, who were onboard the vessel and claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, were detained and are now facing US federal prosecution. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter, Legare and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force seized 330 pounds of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea.
The US Coast Guard says the smugglers face federal charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. The charges carry a minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of imprisonment for life.
Lieutenant Commander Charles Wilson, commanding officer of the Cutter Joseph Doyle advised that the interdiction is “an example of how successful interagency cooperation can be through the use of our collective resources”.
According to him, “Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Caribbean Air Marine Branch (CAMB) and the coast guard worked seamlessly to detect and interdict these suspected narcotics trafficking operation before it reached the shores of Puerto Rico”.
The coast guard said the interdiction is the result of multi-agency efforts involving the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the Caribbean Border Interagency Group and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force.
The US Coast Guard added: “OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organisations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.”
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