Puerto Rico police seize record $50M worth of cocaine

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in Puerto Rico said Thursday that they seized $50 million worth of cocaine, a record for the U.S. territory’s police department.

Antonio López, commissioner of the island's Police Bureau, said 2,000 bricks of cocaine were seized around dawn near the southeast coastal town of Yabucoa during a marine patrol.

He said officials spotted a boat without lights and began chasing it, and the 32-foot boat with two 250-horsepower engines tried to outrun them. The boat then crashed into the shore and its occupants fled, López said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Puerto Rico has long served as a transfer point for drugs headed to the U.S. mainland and elsewhere.