69 blocks of apparent cocaine seized, four arrested in Fajardo waters
U.S. Border Patrol and Puerto Rico police maritime units recovered the packages after occupants threw them overboard near Isla Palomino on Monday afternoon.
File photoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día reports that CBP and FURA agents seized 69 blocks of apparent cocaine from a 24-foot Trophy boat near Isla Palomino in Fajardo on Monday
- A confidential tip at 12:50 p.m. alerted authorities to a vessel with four occupants and suspicious bundles off the east coast of Puerto Rico according to El Vocero
- The four arrested men are between 19 and 35 years old El Nuevo Diario stated police did not release their nationalities
- The DEA in Puerto Rico took jurisdiction of the case all four sources confirmed
Maritime intervention
Agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción of the Puerto Rico Police Department seized 69 blocks of what appeared to be cocaine in waters off Fajardo on Monday, October 12. El Nuevo Día reported. The operation began after a confidential call at 12:50 p.m. warned of a boat carrying four people and suspicious bundles near the east coast.
FURA personnel spotted a 24-foot Trophy-brand vessel equipped with a 250-horsepower engine near Isla Palomino. During the pursuit and intervention the occupants threw the bundles into the sea. Authorities recovered the packages which contained a total of 69 blocks. The four men were then arrested. El Vocero reported.
Federal takeover
The Drug Enforcement Administration office in Puerto Rico assumed jurisdiction of the case, according to all four outlets. The arrested individuals range in age from 19 to 35 years old. Police did not disclose their nationalities or any further details about the substance’s laboratory testing.
NotiCel noted that the intervention occurred during the afternoon in Fajardo near Palomino while the other outlets placed the events in waters off the east coast of Puerto Rico. NotiCel reported.
Where the sources differ
All four sources agree on the seizure of 69 blocks of apparent cocaine, the arrest of four men aged 19-35, the confidential tip at 12:50 p.m., the boat description (24-foot Trophy with 250 hp engine), the throwing of bundles overboard near Isla Palomino or the east coast, and DEA assuming jurisdiction. El Nuevo Día and El Nuevo Diario explicitly name the agencies as CBP and FURA while El Vocero and NotiCel refer to FURA and Customs and Border Protection or Unidad Marítima. Minor variations exist in phrasing such as "this Monday" versus "during the afternoon of today" but no substantive conflicts on facts or numbers.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the exact weight or street value of the cocaine, whether field or laboratory tests confirmed the substance, the nationalities or identities of the four arrested men, if the vessel was registered or stolen, what charges they face, or any planned court appearances. No information is given on how the bundles were recovered from the water or whether additional evidence was found aboard the boat.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Arrojaron bultos al mar: ocupan 69 bloques de aparente cocaína y arrestan a cuatro en Fajardo
- Reporting Arrojaron bultos al mar: ocupan 69 bloques de aparente cocaína y arrestan a cuatro en Fajardo
- Reporting Incautan 69 bloques de cocaína y detienen cuatro personas en aguas de Puerto Rico
- Reporting Incautan 69 bloques de aparente cocaína en aguas de Fajardo
- Reporting Arrestan a cuatro con 69 bloques de aparente cocaína cerca de Palomino
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, El Nuevo Diario, El Vocero and NotiCel all covered the same interdiction with nearly identical details drawn from a joint police statement. The exact weight, identities of the suspects and next judicial steps rest on a single official police release that none of the outlets expanded upon with independent reporting.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.