US agents seize heroin in Puerto Rico ferry, arrest 1 Dominican

San Juan, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to San Juan Office of Field Operations discovered 2.55 kilograms (5.6 pounds) of heroin concealed within a vehicle arriving from the Dominican Republic on the ferry on Friday.

While performing inbound inspections of passenger vehicles that arrived from Dominican Republic onboard the M/V Caribbean Fantasy, CBP officers performed a thorough inspection of one of the vehicles and discovered, hidden within it, 134 pellets of a substance which subsequently field tested positive for the properties of heroin. The heroin weighed approximately 5.6 pounds, with an estimated value of $166,000.

Customs and Border Protection officers arrested the driver of the vehicle, a Dominican Republic citizen and Legal Permanent Resident of the United States.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is leading an investigation and presented charges against the subject for consideration by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, which accepted prosecution.

“CBP officers remain committed to securing our borders from the illegal importation of narcotics.” said San Juan Area Port Director Juan Hurtado. “This seizure exemplifies their determination to disrupt business for drug traffickers before the drugs reach our communities and hurt its citizens.” CBP uses sophisticated methods to identify and target potentially high-risk passengers and cargo, including advanced electronic information about every passenger and cargo shipment entering into the U.S. before their arrival, canine inspections and non-intrusive devices

CBP Office of Field Operations’ 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.