Customs Seize 1,930 Kilos of Cocaine

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents, working jointly with Caribbean Border Initiative (CCI) law enforcement officers, seized 1,930 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of approximately $58 million on board the Panamanian-flagged vessel M/V Megan Star. The seizure was part of the Caribbean Corridor Initiative, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force that 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 by the United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). As a result of the joint investigative efforts by CCI participants, a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment on board the USS Farragut Navy vessel intercepted the M/V Megan Star in international waters. After successful coordination between officers of the USCG law enforcement detachment, Caribbean Corridor participating agencies, and the government of Panama, USCG personnel boarded the M/V Megan Star. The vessel was subsequently escorted to the Coast Guard base in San Juan for a more thorough inspection which revealed approximately 1,930 kilograms of cocaine hidden within different sections of the ship. The 10-member crew of the M/V Megan Star, composed of nationals of Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Nicaragua, and Spain, are in federal custody. Those arrested will be transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico where they will await for the outcome of their case. The Dominican Republics National Drug Control Directorate provided significant assistance and support to this investigation.