AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico – US Border Patrol and the Puerto Rico Police Joint Forced for Rapid Action (FURA, in Spanish) apprehended Monday morning 15 non-citizens from Colombia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic after they disembarked from a makeshift wooden vessel near Rincon.

Ramey Station Border Patrol agents detected a yola type vessel approaching the western coast of the island. Agents contacted a FURA marine unit for an intercept. 

The FURA vessel approached the yola but the vessel captain failed to heave landing in Corcega Beach. 

Responding Border Patrol agents searched the area arresting 15 non-citizens: 2 from Colombia, 1 from Haiti and 12 from the Dominican Republic 

The smuggling vessel, identified as a 25ft makeshift vessel with one 60 horsepower outboard motor, was towed to the FURA Anasco Unit pier. Due to its deteriorated state, the vessel was destroyed on site.

The Ramey Sector is one of the twenty-one Sectors spread out across the United States. Encompassing the U.S. territorial islands of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it is the only Border Patrol Sector located outside the continental United States. The Sector's entire border area is made up of coastline and its area of responsibility is made up of some 6,000 square miles of land and water area, including the twelve-mile band of territorial water surrounding the Islands.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.