The United States Coast Guard and Homeland Security Task Force partners apprehended a stowaway smuggler and seized ten bales of cocaine in San Juan harbour in Puerto Rico on January 28.
The coast guard reported that the seized contraband weighed a total of 789.25 pounds (358 kilograms) and is estimated to have a wholesale value of more than $5 million.
Sector San Juan Command Centre watchstanders received a radio communication from the inbound tug vessel Signet Thunder at approximately 5:48 on January 28, 2026. The Signet Thunder was towing the barge San Juan-JaxBridge to a port facility in San Juan when a crewmember spotted a stowaway on board the barge.
The tugboat crew informed authorities they would hold their position and wait for assistance, according to a coast guard statement. A Station San Juan boat crew subsequently sighted and recovered one person and ten bales of suspected contraband from the water.
Customs and Border Protection and Sector Boarding Team officers conducted a thorough boarding of the Signet Thunder and the San Juan-JaxBridge but found no other stowaways. Law enforcement partners transferred the suspect and the seized cocaine to the Homeland Security Task Force-San Juan region at the coast guard base.
Commander Matthew Romano, the Sector San Juan Chief of Response, noted that the operation involved collaboration between the coast guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the Puerto Rico Police.
The commander also highlighted the role of the Signet Thunder crew in assisting the authorities during the January 28 incident. Romano emphasised that the coast guard will, “continue to combat illicit trafficking throughout the waters of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.”
The apprehended suspect is currently facing federal prosecution on drug trafficking charges following the seizure in the harbour.
