14 skeletons and suspected drugs found on boat

Rio San Juan, DR.- Naval reaction units of the Dominican Republic Navy discovered a vessel of unknown origin with 14 human skeletons on board, located approximately 10 nautical miles off the coast of Río San Juan, María Trinidad Sánchez province.

The remains were identified as belonging to people from Senegal and Mauritania, based on documentation found with the bodies, according to Víctor Alfonso Vásquez, director of Civil Defense in the neighboring province of Espaillat. The Civil Defense is collaborating on the case with various institutions.

Additionally, a backpack containing 12 packages of a substance, likely cocaine or heroin, was found on the vessel. These packages have been handed over to the National Directorate of Drug Control (DNCD) for further investigation, the Navy reported in a press release.

The bodies remain on the vessel, awaiting fumigation of the body bags to prevent health risks. Once disinfected, the remains will be transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF), Vásquez said.

The discovery was made following an alert from a local fisherman. The Navy is investigating the identities and circumstances surrounding the presence of the bodies on the boat.