U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended 39 individuals from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Venezuela after their vessel landed near Isabela, Puerto Rico. The incident occurred early Monday morning when a former Border Patrol agent alerted Ramey Sector dispatch about a possible migrant landing at Jobos beach.

The operation involved Ramey Sector Border Patrol Agents and the Isabela Municipal police, an Operation Stonegarden partner. They discovered a 30-foot wooden makeshift "yola" type vessel with two outboard motors. A search in the area led to the arrest of 39 non-citizens: 23 adult men and 13 adult women from the Dominican Republic, two adult men from Haiti, and one adult woman from Venezuela.

Reggie Johnson, Acting Chief Patrol Agent for Ramey Sector, commented on the situation: "Migrants do not need to risk their lives traversing the Mona Passage in the hands of ruthless smugglers, only to arrive at our coast and face the legal consequences of unlawful entry." He added that "smugglers and bad actors continue to spread falsehoods and show complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable migrants."

The undocumented individuals were taken to the Ramey Border Patrol Station for processing and removal proceedings.

Ramey Sector is one of twenty-one sectors across the United States. It covers U.S. territorial islands such as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, making it unique as it is located outside continental U.S. Its jurisdiction includes approximately 6,000 square miles of land and water area along with a twelve-mile band of territorial waters surrounding these islands.

For anonymous tips regarding such activities, individuals are encouraged to contact 1(800)981-1313.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is described as America's frontline law enforcement organization with over 65,000 personnel safeguarding national borders on land, air, and sea while facilitating lawful travel and trade.