U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents worked with the U.S. Border Patrol to interdict 37 illegal aliens and one United States citizen off the coast of Puerto Rico on Monday. The arrests involve two separate alien smuggling events interdicted on opposite sides of the island.
According to CBP, early Monday morning, CBP AMO teams alongside a group of U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended ten illegal aliens from a host of countries including the Dominican Republic, India, and Ecuador. Among the group was a United States citizen. The relationship of the U.S. citizen to the smuggling venture is being investigated. The last leg of the maritime smuggling event departed from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, bound for Culebrita Island, a small uninhabited island off the east coast of Puerto Rico.
Federal authorities took the group into custody along with the vessel operator for further investigation, processing, and removal.
On the opposite side of the island, a second smuggling attempt was thwarted when Border Patrol agents assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol’s Ramey Sector in Puerto Rico, assisted by CBP Air and Marine Units and Homeland Security Investigations, apprehended 15 illegal aliens who made landfall aboard a makeshift “yola-type” vessel. A yola is a wooden vessel made by hand that is generally used for fishing off the coasts of islands in the Caribbean.
In this event, federal agents received assistance from the Puerto Rico Police Department Maritime Unit and the Cabo Rojo Municipal Police Department. After the vessel made landfall, authorities searched the western coastline, and in all, 27 illegal aliens, some from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, were located and arrested. The group was transported to the Ramey Border Patrol Station for further investigation, processing, and removal from the country.
Director Christopher Hunter of the CBP Caribbean Air and Marine Branch commented on Monday’s efforts by federal and local law enforcement involved in the interdictions, saying, “These operations demonstrate our commitment to protecting the Caribbean region from illegal maritime activity. Our agents’ swift coordination and response ensured the safety and security of everyone involved.”
The latest interdicted smuggling events involving “yola-type” rustic marine vessels illustrate the growing difficulty smuggled aliens face in reaching the United States at the hands of smugglers. To make landfall in Puerto Rico, smugglers must navigate dangerous waters in sometimes grossly overcrowded vessels commanded by smugglers who are frequently dangerous and highly unskilled.
The Border Patrol’s Ramey Sector Chief Patrol Agent Reggie Johnson added his thoughts on Monday’s second interdiction, saying, “Our agents, working closely with our law enforcement partners, remain vigilant in securing Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands’ coastal borders. This successful interdiction highlights the dedication and teamwork required to disrupt dangerous smuggling ventures and protect our communities.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.