Six Dominicans arrested with 300Ks of cocaine near Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR.– Officers and special agents assigned to the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force arrested six Dominicans trying to introduce 330 kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of heroin with an estimated street value of $8 million into the United States.

Following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the six individuals were arrested earlier this week. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers onboard a marine surveillance vessel detected the six men aboard a suspicious 25-foot unmarked fiberglass boat transiting illegally towards Puerto Rico.

"Through these arrests and seizures we are sending a clear message Puerto Rico will not be a safe haven for criminals looking to ship drugs into Puerto Rico and the United States," said Angel Melendez, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan.

The detainees are Jairo Torres-Balbuena, 29; José Manuel Rodríguez, 30; Anheli Regalado, 25; Berner Balbuena-Perreaux, 38; Jorge King, 52; and Juan Polanco-Rodríguez, 35. The 15 bales of suspected contraband later tested positive for cocaine and heroin during a field test.