A coordinated pre-dawn operation in San Juan Harbor has led to the arrest of a stowaway smuggler and the seizure of nearly 800 pounds of cocaine valued at more than $5 million, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.
The drama unfolded shortly before 6 a.m. on 28 January as the tug Signet Thunder was towing the barge San Juan-Jax Bridge towards the Old Army Terminal. During the transit, a crewmember from an assist tug boarded the barge and unexpectedly discovered a stowaway. The finding was immediately reported to Coast Guard Sector San Juan.
Coast Guard watchstanders swiftly launched a response from Station San Juan and alerted partners from the Homeland Security Task Force, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Caribbean Air and Marine Branch and Office of Field Operations, along with marine units from the Puerto Rico Police. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued to warn other vessels operating in the area.
Responding teams soon spotted a suspect in the water alongside 10 bales of what was believed to be cocaine. The haul weighed approximately 358 kilograms, or around 789 pounds, with an estimated wholesale value in excess of $5 million. The suspect was taken into custody and is expected to face federal drug trafficking charges.
Following the recovery, Coast Guard Sector Boarding Team members and CBP officers carried out a thorough inspection of both the tug and the barge, confirming that no further stowaways or contraband were present.
The suspect and the seized narcotics were then handed over to Homeland Security Task Force–San Juan partners at Coast Guard Base San Juan.