Puerto Rico: U.S. Border Patrol Agent, Suspected Smuggler Killed After Shootout Off Puerto Rican Coast

Agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection clashed with suspected smugglers off the coast of Puerto Rico. It led to a shootout that resulted in the death of one Border Patrol agent and one of the suspected smugglers. Another two CBP officers were injured following the clash.

According to the Associated Press, agents from the CBP's Air and Marine Operations unit were patrolling an area approximately 12 miles off the coast of Cabo Rojo, described as a major drug smuggling corridor for cocaine off South America, also known as the Mona Passage. It can be found between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

The Shootout Between Border Patrol Agents and Smugglers

The CBP stated that three of their Marine Interdiction Agents exchanged fire with at least two people who were aboard a smuggling ship. All three agents were shown and immediately airlifted back to Puerto Rico for treatment at a local hospital. However, one of them did not make it.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified before a Senate committee on Thursday and officially confirmed that the other agents were "gravely injured" while the other one was killed. He also praised their efforts as he testified before the Senate.

"These are brave members of our Air and Marine Operations within U.S. Customs and Border Protection," said the DHS secretary. "So, the difficulty of this job cannot be compared to the difficulty that our frontline personnel face every day. Their bravery and selfless service should be recognized."

Axios reported that one of the alleged smugglers was also killed during the shootout. Meanwhile, the other smuggler was arrested.

Meanwhile, another vessel nearby was also captured, and it also belonged to other smugglers. Authorities found out that this other vessel was carrying contraband and firearms. The agents arrested two other people aboard, and Axios reported that they were also identified as U.S. citizens.

Smuggling in the area has become rampant in recent times, as the Air and Marine Operations unit has detected 218 "conventional aircraft incursions" on U.S. soil in the 2021 fiscal year, as well as seized around 1.1 million pounds of narcotic drugs and $73.1 million in illicit currency. The unit has also made over 122,000 arrests and rescued 518 people.

FBI Investigating the Puerto Rico Shootout

Following the arrests, CBP spokesman Jeffrey Quiñones spoke to reporters in Puerto Rico, He admitted that it was too early to know where the first vessel originated from and what the nationalities of the suspected smugglers are. It is still also unclear whether the first vessel was carrying narcotics or servicing another suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean.

As such, the FBI is now on the case and is now leading the investigation into the incident.

For their operations in the Caribbean, large drug cartels usually recruit poor fishermen from Colombia and Venezuela to transport large amounts of cocaine into the region.

They typically travel northward to the Dominican Republic before they break down their cargo into smaller bales and transferred it at sea to waiting vessels. These vessels are better paid, according to ABC-7 News, and are sometimes run by well-armed Puerto Rican drug runners.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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