November 06, 2007

ICE teams up with, CBP, FBI, DEA and U.S. Coast Guard to seize more than 555 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean Basin

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - More than 1,221 pounds of cocaine with a street value of approximately $13 million were seized here Sunday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents working jointly with other federal officers assigned to the Caribbean Corridor Initiative (CCI).

As a result of the joint investigative efforts by CCI participants, a United Kingdom naval frigate with a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) law enforcement detachment on board, recovered approximately 18 bales containing more than 1,121 pounds of cocaine.

Coast Guard personnel intercepted the Venezuelan-flagged Doña Antonieta approximately 700 nautical miles from Brazil. The crew was found dropping the 18 bales of cocaine into the water in an effort to destroy the evidence.

The Doña Antonieta and its crew were turned over to Venezuela law enforcement officials with an additional 123 bales of cocaine. The 18 bales recovered from international waters were brought to the USCG base in San Juan where ICE agents took custody of the contraband.

"ICE is committed to working with our federal, state and local counterparts in an effort to stop the movement of contraband in the Caribbean," said Roberto Escobar Vargas, acting special agent-in- charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in San Juan. "Those involved in drug trafficking should know that the Caribbean is no longer an option to transship narcotics into the United States."

The Caribbean Corridor strike force investigates South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics utilizing the Caribbean as a transshipment point for further distribution to the United States. The initiative is composed of ICE, the United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Coast Guard.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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