Puerto Rico police seize $5.4 million drug shipment

San Juan: Authorities were searching today for three suspects who allegedly attempted to smuggle USD 5.4 million worth of drugs into Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic.

Police said they arrested Teofilo Tineo Gonzalez, a 36-year-old Dominican man, after seizing about 518 pounds (235 kilograms) of cocaine and heroin and a 22-foot (6.7-meter) boat on the coast west of San Juan, but three other suspects got away.

Police Superintendent Jose Caldero said authorities were hunting for three others they believe were aboard the boat that left the Dominican Republic for the US territory on Wednesday night.

A hotel security guard alerted police around 10 pm yesterday about four people unloading packages from the boat in a suspicious manner. Police were interviewing the arrested man before turning him over to federal authorities.

The superintendent said police this year have seized about 14,300 pounds (6,500 kilograms) of drugs, mostly cocaine, more than what was seized in 2013 and 2014 combined.

The US Coast Guard is also having a record year. Last month, it seized USD 41 million worth of cocaine and marijuana during Caribbean interventions.