SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard Cutters Joseph Tezanos and Isaac Mayo crewmembers and Homeland Security Task Force - San Juan Region law enforcement partners apprehended a stowaway and seized a weapon and nine bales of cocaine off the northern coast of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, June 10, 2026.
This interdiction is part of Homeland Security Task Force – San Juan Region efforts to combat human smuggling, drug trafficking, and deter unlawful maritime migration.
The seized cocaine weighed approximately 237.75 kgs and is estimated to have a wholesale value of $4.8 million. The apprehended drug trafficker faces federal prosecution on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
During an at sea boarding of the Crimson Clover Barge during the vessel’s transit to San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico, U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Joseph Tezanos and Isaac Mayo boarding team members located a stowaway with a firearm and nine bales of suspected contraband that were tested and confirmed to be cocaine. Moments thereafter, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Isaac Mayo met with Homeland Security Task Force San Juan law enforcement partners at Coast Guard Base San Juan, who received custody of the smuggler, weapon, and cocaine.
“This case highlights excellent teamwork across four maritime units and efficient interoperability between Homeland Security Task Force – San Juan partners," said aid Lt. Cmdr. Ross Markham. Cutter Joseph Tezanos Commanding Officer. “A collective pool of experience and available assets led to a safe boarding and a discovery of cocaine aboard the barge, which further deters smuggling organizations from exploiting incoming commercial vessels to conduct human and drug trafficking activities within our area of responsibility. Successful outcomes like this are achieved through adaptive methods, superior teamwork and an unwavering commitment within our Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and our local law enforcement partners to combat illicit trafficking throughout the waters of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
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