12 Caribbean Nationals Face Drug Smuggling Charge In Puerto Rico

The interdicted Caribbean Soul drug runner.

News Americas, SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Weds. June 3, 2015: Six Jamaicans, five Guyanese and one Vincentian men are set to be prosecuted for drug smuggling by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.

The 12 were recently busted by US Drug Enforcement Administration agents as well as the Coast Guard and the Royal Netherlands Navy with 13,000 pounds of marijuana aboard The Caribbean Soul cargo freighter approximately 150 nautical miles south of Les Cayes, Haiti in the Caribbean Sea.

When approached, the Caribbean Soul came to a full stop as the crew claimed the freighter to be a U.S. flagged vessel that was experiencing steering problems onboard. However,  the vessel was deemed to be stateless after it was revealed that the freighter was no longer a registered vessel in the United States.

The U.S. Coast Guard LEDET proceeded to board the Caribbean Soul and in the process located multiple bales of suspected contraband that were field tested and revealed to be marijuana.  In total, 247 bales of marijuana were seized weighing approximately 13,000 pounds.

The drug shipment is estimated to have a wholesale value of more than $13 million.