AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico –Ramey Station Border Patrol agents and Puerto Rico Police Department Joint Forces for Rapid Action (FURA, for its Spanish acronym) agents arrested five aliens and seized 401 pounds (182 kilos) of cocaine Tuesday inside a vessel attempting to make entry in Crash Boat Beach. The estimated value of the cocaine is $4.5 million.

“The Puerto Rico Police Department’s F.U.R.A. Division works closely with the United States Border Patrol in our shared mission of keeping our communities safe. By working together, we ensure greater success towards our common goals. We will continue these efforts with our partners in our mission to secure our borders” indicated Xavier Morales, Chief Patrol Agent of the Ramey Sector.

On Dec. 10, a marine unit contacted the Ramey Border Patrol after they intercepted a vessel one mile near the Crash Boat beach with five men, who claimed to be nationals of the Dominican Republic.

Border Patrol and FURA, who are Operation Stonegarden partners, searched the “yola” type vessel finding five bales of narcotics, which tested positive to the properties of cocaine.

Custody of the vessel and the contraband was transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for investigation. Border Patrol Agents arrested the five aliens for prosecution.

The Operation Stonegarden Grant Program (OPSG) is designed to enhance cooperation and coordination from the U.S. Border Patrol with local, tribal, territorial, state and federal law enforcement agencies in a joint mission to secure the border.

The Ramey Sector is one of the twenty-one Sectors spread out across the United States. Encompassing the U.S. territorial islands of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it is the only Border Patrol Sector located outside the continental United States. The Sector's entire border area is made up of coastline and its area of responsibility is made up of some 6,000 square miles of land and water area, including the twelve-mile band of territorial water surrounding the Islands.

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