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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Puerto Rico Thursday, leaving at least 11 dead and 31 survivors.

Officials say 11 people drowned and there are 31 survivors — 11 female and 20 male. The 11 deceased have all been recovered.

The “suspected illegal migrant voyage” overturned near an uninhabited Puerto Rican island and was spotted by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer from a helicopter.

FOX NEWS reports that the rescue operation is expected to continue through the night for any more potential survivors as the Coast Guard isn’t sure how many people were on board.

“We’re looking to rescue as many people as we can and find as many survivors as we can,” Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad said.

Castrodad said if the CBP officer hadn’t seen the boat “we would not have known about this until someone would have found any sign or received reports from people that their loved ones are missing. They found them early enough that we were able to coordinate a response.”

The victims and survivors were non-U.S. citizens, the Coast Guard said, and included eight Haitians who were hospitalized, but the nationalities of the others have not been reported.

In the last fiscal year, which ended in September, more than 3,000 Haitians, Cubans and Dominicans were detained in the region attempting to make the crossing and human smuggling boat attempts have increased since then, authorities said.

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FAJARDO, Puerto Rico— US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) found Sunday 475 pounds (215.5 kilos) of cocaine concealed inside a vessel being removed from the water in Las Croabas. The estimated value is $4.3 million. A display of the boat and the contrband seized in Fajardo, PR.

“Our agents continue to interdict unlawful people and cargo approaching U.S. borders, investigates criminal networks and provides domain awareness in the air and maritime environments,” Augusto Reyes, Director of the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch.

Marine Interdiction Agents conducted a land patrol at the conducting a land patrol at Las Croabas Public Boat Ramp in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Agents inspected the occupants of a vessel being removed from the water using a truck and trailer. During the inspection one of the occupants admitted to entering the United States illegally from the Dominican Republic and the vessel operator admitted to returning from St. Thomas, USVI, and not reporting entry to CBP.

AMO agents requested assistance from a Puerto Rico Police Department K-9 who alerted to the presence of a smell it is trained to detect.

Agents inspected the vessel finding a hidden compartment containing 202 bricks of a white powdery substance which tested positive for the properties of cocaine.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents took custody of three men and the contraband for prosecution and investigation.

AMO safeguards our Nation by anticipating and confronting security threats through our aviation and maritime law enforcement expertise, innovative capabilities, and partnerships at the border and beyond. With approximately 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel, 240 aircraft, and 300 marine vessels operating throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, AMO conducts its mission in the air and maritime environments at and beyond the border, and within the nation’s interior.

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.

THIS IS SERIOUS FOLKS.

UNFORTUNATELY WITH BIDEN IN CHARGE WE ARE CATCHING FAR LESS OF THESE PEOPLE AND DEADLY DRUGS BUT THESE HEROES ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN IN SPITE OF BEING HANDCUFFED BY THE FILTHY RADICAL LEFTIST SCUMBAGS.

#FJB

#TRUMP2024

TTOA ARE STAUNCH SUPPORTERS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, BORDER PATROL, ICE, FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR MILITARY AND ALL THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO KEEPING AMERICA SAFE.

H/T: AMERICAS FREEDOM FIGHTERS