US Customs

On August 6, 2025, Air and Marine Operations (AMO), part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in collaboration with Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces for Rapid Action (FURA), intercepted a yola-type vessel near Cabo Rojo carrying 62 bales of cocaine and arrested three undocumented aliens from Colombia and Panama.

During the morning hours, an AMO asset detected a suspect vessel heading north toward the municipalities of Lajas and Cabo Rojo. The Michel Maceda Marine Unit deployed both a Coastal Interceptor Vessel crew and a FURA Marine unit to intercept the vessel.

The interdiction occurred approximately two nautical miles off the coast near the “La Pitahaya” sector of Cabo Rojo. Marine Interdiction Agents apprehended two Colombian nationals and one Panamanian national found without proper documentation to legally enter or remain in the United States. Authorities seized a total of 60 extra-large bales and 2 large bales of cocaine aboard the vessel.

The 60 bales contained approximately 1,789.1 kilograms (3,944.3 pounds) of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $30.4 million. The suspects and contraband were transferred to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

AMO continues to protect the nation by anticipating and confronting security threats through its aviation and maritime law enforcement expertise across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit is named in honor of a Marine Interdiction Agent who lost his life during a drug interdiction operation on November 17, 2022.