PUERTO RICO: US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues to play a vital role in the national security and economic prosperity of the United States.CBP released a summary of fiscal year 2014 border enforcement efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, reflecting its focus on transparency, optimizing resources and building partnerships toward a commitment to securing a 21st century border against a variety of different threats and adversaries.
“This year, the men and women of CBP have risen to meet every challenge they faced and have remained committed to our primary national security mission,” said Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. “CBP responds to an evolving array of threats and challenges to the border environment. It is the vigilance and dedication of our frontline workforce that ensures our ability to execute our critical border security responsibilities.”
This Caribbean area effort is possible through collaborative operations and partnerships with other Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, which have become an integral part of CBP’s procedures, in order to generate reductions in illicit activity throughout the area.
In Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, CBP officers and agents seized over 51,043 pounds of narcotics with an estimated street value of approximately 650 million and seized approximately $10.6 million in unreported currency in FY 2014, which runs from October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014.