San Juan CBP Finds 3 Cocaine-Filled Duffel Bags Inside Container

San Juan, Puerto Rico - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized last night three duffel bags filled with 70 cocaine bricks found inside a container arriving to the Port of San Juan from the Dominican Republic.　

The bags were found during inbound scanning inspection of containers on board M/V BUXFAVOURITE arriving from the Dominican Republic. The container, laden with plastic parts in the United Kingdom, is destined for Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Upon opening a container three duffel bags were found with 70 packages of a substance which tested positive for cocaine. Total weight of the cocaine is 75.80 kilograms (167 pounds).

The estimated street value of the seized narcotics is $ 1,895,000.

The custody of the duffel bag and the narcotics was transferred to ICE Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

"We have stepped up the inspection of all cargo conveyances arriving and leaving Puerto Rico looking for contraband and will continue to do so.　 Our officers' hard work is paying back and providing the expected results," indicated Marcelino Borges, Director of Field Operations for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

CBP uses sophisticated methods to identify and target potentially high-risk cargo, including advanced electronic information about every cargo shipment to the U.S. before it arrives.

CBP’s dual mission is to facilitate travel in the United States while we secure our borders, our people and our visitors from those that would do us harm like terrorists and terrorist weapons, criminals, and contraband.　 CBP officers are charged with enforcing not only immigration and customs laws, but they enforce over 400 laws for 40 other agencies and have stopped thousands of violators of U.S. law.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our Nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.