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  4. CBP Officers Find 39 Pounds of Cocaine inside Backpacks On Board a Cargo Vessel Arriving to San Juan

CBP Officers Find 39 Pounds of Cocaine inside Backpacks On Board a Cargo Vessel Arriving to San Juan

Release Date
Wed, 02/24/2021
A display of the 17 bricks of cocaine.
A display of the 17 bricks of cocaine.  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 39 pounds (18 Kilos) of cocaine inside three backpacks found on board the M/V CONTSHIP LEO arriving Tuesday at the Puerto Nuevo pier. 

“Narcotics smugglers can use very simple means to elude detection”, stated Roberto Vaquero, Assistant Director of Field Operations for Border Security in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  “Our officers’ expertise and training makes interdictions such as this one possible.” On Feb. 23, the CBP Contraband Enforcement Team inspected various containers arriving on the incoming vessel, finding the backpacks in between containers.

The backpacks had sixteen (16) bricks, which tested positive to the properties of cocaine. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assumed custody of the seized contraband for investigation.

On Feb.1, CBP officers seized 181 pounds of cocaine inside six (6) backpacks found on board the cargo vessel M/V Molly Schulte calling the port of San Juan from Caucedo, Dominican Republic.

CBP’s mission is to safeguard America’s borders thereby protecting the public from dangerous people and materials while enhancing the Nation’s global economic competitiveness by enabling legitimate trade and travel. 

Last Modified: Nov 23, 2021