WILLEMSTAD – The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard intercepted a boat carrying a large quantity of drugs off the coast of Aruba early Friday morning. Five men on board—four Venezuelans and one Colombian—were arrested, the Coast Guard confirmed Tuesday.
The Maritime Operations Center received a report in the early hours about a vessel heading toward the island and suspected of involvement in illegal activity. Multiple land, sea, and air units were deployed immediately to locate the boat.
A patrol aircraft eventually spotted the vessel near Playa Tortuga, after which Coast Guard teams at sea and on land were redirected to intercept it. During the operation, officers found and seized a significant quantity of narcotics on board. The drugs have since been destroyed.
The five suspects remain in custody while authorities continue their investigation into the incident.
