7 Dominicans nabbed in Puerto Rico’s biggest drug bust on land

San Juan.- US authorities in Puerto Rico in collaborationwith local police seized 1,786 kilos of cocaine, the largest land shipment ofheroin seized in the island’s history, EFE reports.

"This is the largest on land seizure of drugsthat has been done in Puerto Rico’s history," said US Customs and BorderProtection (ICE) director in the Caribbean island, Ricardo Mayoral at a Wednesdaypress conference, over the shipment confiscated Tuesday whose street value iasUS$45 million.

"We have made large seizures at sea, butnever on the ground. Never had so much cocaine been seized," Mayoral said.

Seven men, all Dominican nationals are incustody in connection with the haul, of which four were arrested in Puerto Ricoand the rest in the Dominican Republic.

The detainees were identified as ErickMosquea Polanco, Juan José De la Cruz Morales, Kevin De Morla Santana, RudyContreras Severino, José Morales Soto, Sandy Hernández Mieses and JonathanJiménez Díaz.

All but Jimenez Diaz were previously indictedby a federal grand jury in Puerto Rico for trying to smuggle drugs from theDominican Republic.

Mayoral added that the drug was found in avan in the residence of Hernandez, who was disabled years ago from gunshotwounds in both legs.