Contraband: Seized at Sea (2024) s01e06 Episode Script

1
Puerto Rico was the first entry port
into the U.S. from Latin America.
Stemming the flow of narcotics
is a constant battle.
They're frequently trafficked
onto the island aboard car ferries.
Okay, okay, we're with all the cars.
Tonight, Agent Gerardo is making his
way to the Ceiba ferry terminal
for the random stop search of traffic
about to arrive on the island.
In the next couple of minutes, we
should start moving towards the area.
It's a common tactic agents employ
to thwart any drugs
from coming in through this entry point.
We'll go slowly, okay? Slowly.
The drivers aren't moving yet.
The element of surprise is crucial,
preventing key-side spotters
from tipping off any mules on board.
Stop the cars right there,
top the cars there, otherwise.
They're trapped. They're trapped.
Police close off the port exit.
Yes, yes, yes.
Stop them there. Let's go.
Customs and Border Protection officers
deploy a canine
to sniff out anything illegal.
Let's go. Open up there, let's
check them all out with the dog.
Check them all.
Yes, check them all with the dog.
Special Agent Nicole, from
Homeland Security Investigations,
is watching carefully
to see how the dog reacts.
This canine is trained
to alert to narcotics.
So, if there's any type of residue
that came from a narcotic,
any type of drugs, heroin, cocaine,
marijuana, the dog will sit on it.
Before long, the canine
singles out a pickup truck.
Positive alert.
Alerting its handler
to the scent of drugs.
This is hot.
U.S. Customs!
They're non-compliant, non-compliant.
Go, go, go, go, go!
Off the southern coast of Florida
In the Florida Keys,
agents Dan, Alex, and Brittany
are part of a multi-agency search
for 11 undocumented migrants on the run.
Be advised, we do have a drone
getting ready to come out.
Border Patrol and Miami-Dade
drone will be there shortly.
They're at Black Point now.
While attempting illegal entry into
the U.S., their boat ran aground,
forcing them to scramble onto an
uninhabited island near Key Largo.
We had a migrant load
smuggle in last night
and beach their boat after a quick chase.
The migrants are somewhere
in the marsh right here.
We've got agents on the ground
tracking them right now.
We have a helicopter
and a fixed-wing aircraft above
trying to track the migrants through.
They were last sighted at midnight,
over nine hours ago.
Florida's dense mangroves
offer the ideal hiding place,
and air support is failing to detect
any sign of movement.
See, that's the only place
they could get to.
Still you got to go through there, so
they gotta be just laid up in there.
The boats patrolling the island's
perimeter can't get close enough
to spot anyone sheltering
near the shoreline.
It's hard for us to get to a lot of areas
because it's real, real shallow.
- How's it looking?
- Really shallow.
We got like three feet.
At 9:30 a.m., it's already
91 degrees Fahrenheit,
with 90 percent humidity.
The agents are concerned
about the migrants' welfare
in such hostile terrain.
Inside of the marsh area right here,
it's nothing but mosquitos, thick,
thick, coarse, dense vegetation.
I can imagine
what the migrants are going through,
they've been in here
for going on 10 hours, so
now is when a medical issue arises.
- Should we go out and go around?
- Yeah.
Hours ago, agents were deployed
to search on land
and are just now returning unsuccessful.
Their boat can't get to shore.
They must wade through the water.
They've been in the mangroves
searching for these migrants
for the last several hours.
They gotta come out
and get some water and cool off.
Their vessel commander briefs Dan
on the conditions on land.
Right now, man, it's mosquito infested.
- It's pretty hot.
- Right.
It's islands after islands.
Mangroves after mangroves.
- Mosquito after mosquito.
- Mosquito after mosquito.
You're gonna get tore up.
I'm surprised the migrants
haven't come out for help yet.
Yeah.
Unless they went in there
with supplies, which I doubt.
Now, 12 hours into the search,
the Jayhawk helicopter
circling the quay spots something.
- Ground unit zero, we got bodies.
- The migrants, right?
- Hey, they got the bodies. Yeah.
- They got the bodies?
A group of people appears to be
sheltering among the mangroves.
The position is going to be north,
two five, two two, five one.
After a prolonged exposure
to the island's harsh elements,
getting them to safety
is a matter of urgency.
Looks like a group of about five.
Do they look like they're inclined
to run away again?
Or like they're inclined to come out
to the water if we call for them?
Right now, they're huddled up
under one large tree.
- We'll see if we got any volunteers.
- I'll go, I'll go.
The agents prepare to head
into the muggy mangroves
to bring the migrants to safety.
One thousand miles southeast
in Puerto Rico.
Captain, this is U.S. Coastguard,
channel 16. How far are you, over?
Agents are responding
to a mayday radio call
from a jet boat out at sea.
I would say I am estimating
about four miles.
This is the U.S. coast guard, channel
16. Did you copy that, over?
10-4, over. We're heading that way.
The boat has sprung a leak.
Agent Justin and his team
head towards its location.
We got a call on channel 16,
vessel in distress
and they're taking on some water.
We're gonna go and try and assist,
try and give aid to the vessel.
- Hold on.
- I'm ready.
Onboard the vessel in distress
is a family of four
with two young children.
At the helm, the father
is keeping the agents updated
as the situation unfolds.
Are you taking water at this time, over?
We're actually taking water. I see a
crack and my automatic pump is off.
The leaking boat had traveled far
beyond Puerto Rico's sheltered bays,
when it got into trouble.
The seas are a lot bigger out here.
When you're in a 20,000 pound boat,
doing 40 nautical miles per hour,
rising four to six feet up in the air
and then slamming back down
into the water
It's like a car crash
every six seconds at 35 miles
an hour, hitting a freight train.
Four miles northeast of the coast,
Justin and the crew
spot the stricken boat.
- Captain! This is the boat.
- Yeah, that's it.
We're on scene
with the vessel in distress.
As the agents swing behind the stern,
they quickly notice
that it's sitting low in the water.
That is the boat.
They've got a crack in the hull,
so they're taking on water.
They still have some good free board
above the water line,
but it appears that they have no
overboard discharge
of any water coming out.
As well as the cracked hull,
the boat's onboard pump has failed,
meaning it can't offload
the water it's taking on.
The only way for the father
at the helm to keep it afloat
is to continue moving at speed.
What we don't want him to do
is we don't want him to stop,
because then they're just gonna sink.
In the Florida Keys
Agents have located
five of 11 undocumented migrants,
stranded on an uninhabited island
near Key Largo.
- Ground unit zero, we got bodies.
- The migrants, right?
Hey, they got the bodies. Yeah.
After over 12 hours of hiding
in the mangroves,
agents are concerned about their welfare.
Looks like a group of about five.
Do they look like they're inclined
to run away again?
Or like they're inclined to come out
to the water if we call for them?
Right now, they're huddled up
under one large tree.
With temperatures pushing one
hundred degrees and high humidity,
the heat exposure is creating
a real risk to their safety.
Without water,
you'll get dehydrated quick,
especially once you go inside
the brush area.
It'll be super hot in there.
Now, agents must endure
those same conditions
to undertake a rescue mission.
We are getting ready to go in.
Had to take off my vest
because it's super thick in there
when we walk through the mangroves.
There's nobody
gonna make it through unless we
we have to go light, and it's super hot.
Because the water is too shallow
to access by boat,
the agents wade to the island.
Once ashore, they begin heading
inland, guided by air support.
122, 153 north.
80-21-4, .06 west. Over.
- Got it?
- Loud and clear.
The migrants that were spotted
from the air are one mile away.
The almost impenetrable mangroves
make progress slow.
And the intense humidity forces
the agents to take frequent breaks
to avoid heat exhaustion.
We've been going through the mangroves.
The bugs are crazy out here.
And we're trying to get the
coordinates and to keep going.
All right.
North, 25.37541, break.
West, nearly 80.23449, how copy?
One hour into the search,
and agents spot something up ahead.
The team slowly moves in.
There, among the vegetation
five migrants hiding.
Open up there, let's check
them all out with the dog.
During a surprise stop and search
at the Ceiba ferry terminal
in Puerto Rico
Check them all.
Yes, check them all with the dog.
A canine has alerted its handler
to the scent of drugs
- This is hot.
- on a pickup truck
that's just arrived on a ferry.
She's marking the whole vehicle.
Please, sir, can you move
your truck over here, please?
The agents will now perform
a rigorous search of the vehicle.
Can you step out please?
First, they order the driver
to open up the flatbed.
Which is loaded with used car parts.
The driver is being compliant.
But when the search switches
to the cab, he steps in
and keeps
a close eye on the agents.
There's nothing on top of the spare,
yeah, I've checked.
So far, the search has revealed
nothing incriminating.
We are verifying the vehicle.
We're searching it all.
And as of right now,
it's a negative search.
But Gerardo suspects there may
still be something eluding them.
He redeploys the canine.
This time, the dog is more specific.
It appears to be picking up a scent
from the rear right-hand wheel.
Good girl, Mami.
Off the coast of Puerto Rico,
agents are trailing a leaking boat
with a young family onboard.
They got a crack in the hull,
so they're taking on water.
We don't want them to stop,
because then they're just gonna sink.
Agents only have one choice, follow
the boat and hope it stays afloat.
We're going to try and escort them
all the way back
into Puerto del Rey Marina,
where they can get some assistance
and get that boat out of the water
as soon as possible.
That's basically
all we can do at this point.
Because right now
They're doing a good job of keeping
the kids calm and in a safe position.
So, we have our lights on to let
other mariners know in the area
that we've got a situation going on,
to avoid the area.
Copy, escorting it to the marina at PDR.
The vessel still stable to arrive
at this destination.
The family, a mom, dad,
and two children under the age of eight,
must endure an anxious
four-mile trip back to shore.
Can you see where the crack is at?
- You can see the crack?
- Yeah, it's right there.
- It's on the stern?
- Yes, under the stern platform.
Okay, so we were able to identify
that the crack is near the platform
where the small boat is attached.
And I believe that's why
that's why the small boat is hanging
in the water the way it is.
So, the water is seeping in from the
stern into the lower compartments.
Finally, the Puerto del Rey Marina
comes into view.
They're safe. Nobody's injured.
Captain, we're gonna stay with you
until you are able to dock it safely.
Copy that, thank you.
All the exhausted father
needs to do now
is moor up with four
professionals watching on.
He picked the narrowest channel
to go down?
As soon as it's docked,
the boat will be hauled out
of the water for repairs.
People are taking a look at the vessel
to see what kind of damage it is.
The wife was pretty upset, emotionally.
One of our agents is going over to
talk to the kids, to calm them down,
make them feel okay.
As a major part of their work,
the marine agents help out
with an average of 200 search
and rescue missions each year.
We never like seeing accidents
or things take a turn for the worst.
All in all, everything turned out
the way it should have.
On an inhospitable Florida island,
agents are battling
100-degree temperatures
to rescue 11 undocumented migrants
stranded in hostile terrain.
We've been going through
the mangroves now.
The bugs are crazy out here.
And we're trying to get the
coordinates and to keep going.
After a grueling trek,
agent Brittany and her party
have located five people
hiding one mile inland.
The agents received orders to remain
in position and wait for backup.
Two hundred yards behind,
Agent Steve is part of a second
group trying to contain the area.
Right now, we're spread out staging,
see if anybody runs.
We'll pick up anybody.
Just kind of maintaining the station
until we get further word.
But two agents in this group
are succumbing to the heat.
Emergency medic, Zach, is concerned.
Give him some water, please.
We're all hurting, you know, so
ain't no use in pushing ourselves
beyond what we've got to.
In these conditions,
it can take as little as 10 minutes
for heat exhaustion to take hold.
Left unchecked, it will progress
to heatstroke, which can be fatal.
We're gonna stand by,
and rest up some of our guys
that are, you know, fatigued,
very fatigued.
So, we're gonna try to get them
some shade.
Zach looks out for the telltale signs
of confusion, headache, and nausea.
- Nobody vomiting?
- No, not yet.
Nearly out of water, the agents
take what little shelter they can.
One more full,
so we're gonna have to ration it.
I got a third.
But with one rapidly deteriorating,
Zach decides to medivac
the entire group out.
We need you have them standby, okay?
I'm going to get that small craft
out here now.
We're heading to the east side
of the island for medivac.
Copy, we have medivac.
Port Newark
is one of the major entry points
for the four trillion dollars worth
of goods the US imports each year.
Just this side and that side,
focused mostly on the center.
That's where the intel was.
But hidden along the legitimate shipments,
are billions of dollars' worth
of counterfeit consumer items.
A lot of times,
they'll put the legit commodity
around the actual contraband.
From watches, to bags and clothing,
Customs and Border Protection officers
are trained to spot the subtlest
signs of a fake.
The way it's made, the way it feels,
the quality of the product.
The murky world of counterfeiting
exploits the vulnerable
and provides a source of untraceable
cash, which funds criminality.
The money that is made
from these products being sold
can, in fact, be funding child labor
in other countries.
This could be funded from drug companies,
it could be from money laundering.
We don't know what the story is
at the end of the day.
Today, at the port's east coast warehouse,
Officer Vanessa has flagged
a shipment from North Africa.
We have this shipment coming from Egypt.
It appears to be some sort of clothing.
Her years of experience
tell her it needs to be examined.
I see that the boxes are flimsy.
Not packaged well.
Something does not feel right.
Vanessa knows
that a reputable manufacturer
would use high quality packages,
and clearly list their contents.
Looking at the boxes, there
is nothing that say what's inside.
As I'm looking at it,
I have different sizes.
I have different colors, but
I do not have what the commodity is.
Well, let's start cutting boxes.
Working with Vanessa
to investigate this shipment
are officers Marzia and Debbie.
This looks like men's T-shirts.
So, I can tell you that,
this having the tag over here,
this is not how
this is usually manufactured.
The T-shirts bear the logo
of a well-known brand.
I see a different type of rope
that they use.
And then here, the stitching is off.
The tags are very flimsy.
And this usually comes with
probably about, four to six tags.
So, I think that this is counterfeit,
but we're gonna check more,
and we're gonna see if there's
anything else in these boxes.
Do you all have six in each bag?
Yes.
Officer Debbie
spots further inconsistencies.
I also have the same shirts.
It's not as perfect
as it should be, right?
Even the labels, sometimes even
the thickness of the cardboard,
could tell you,
these are usually not the labels
that come with this apparel.
The officers will open every single box,
take detailed inventory,
and report their findings.
Now we're going to take pictures.
We're gonna take samples
back up to our office.
And then we're going to send them
to our specialists,
which are the import specialists
of this apparel,
and they're going to determine
whether they are counterfeit or not.
And they're also going to check
the trademark violations.
I think once we send it out,
it will come back as counterfeit.
With roughly 80,000 T-shirts
in the shipment,
its retail value would have been
around $1.2 million,
had it been allowed onto the market.
At the end of the day, this is just
not about trademark violations.
There could be a huge,
bigger story behind this.
Our goal is to get this off the streets
and out of those dangerous hands.
If the import specialists confirm
the officer's suspicions,
the clothing will be destroyed.
Anyone found to be involved
in the distribution of fakes
faces prosecution.
Basically, you get what you pay for.
We want to make sure that
the American public gets top quality.
In 2023, at the Port of Newark alone,
officers seized counterfeit goods
with a retail value of over $42 million.
We see a lot of these containers,
hundreds a month,
that we have to examine,
and it's very gratifying
to be able to catch these.
It helps us protect
the US economy and our jobs.
In the Florida Keys
a medical emergency is unfolding.
We need you to have them stand by, okay?
I'm going to get to that small craft
out here now.
We're heading to the east side
of the island for medivac.
A unit involved in the search
for 11 migrants
has succumbed to the near 100 degree heat.
It's gonna be north.
Two-five decimal.
Three, seven, eight. Nine, five.
- Okay.
- Over west.
Eight-zero decimal.
Two, three, zero, nine, four.
That's where we're gonna be heading to.
Stand by.
With one agent suffering
from confusion and nausea,
and others also showing signs
of heat exhaustion,
EMT Zach is medevacking
the unit of six off the island.
We're gonna land right next to you.
- You can see us. We can land here.
- Come over.
- This way, I'll give you a signal.
- Come over.
- We're going in the chopper.
- Yeah?
Eight confirmed.
You're gonna pick up
the agents that need medivac, right?
We got a spot to land, kind of close by.
As the only EMT on the island,
Zach stays behind in case anyone
else needs medical attention.
Some guys, you know,
they wanna keep pushing.
They don't know when to stop.
They overexert themselves,
that's when people get hurt.
Sometimes you come out
and you think you have enough
but the elements,
conditioning, stuff like that,
you can get worn down quick.
Harsh environment we work in.
It's dangerous for us
and for the people that
we're looking to apprehend.
Two hundred yards up ahead,
agent Brittany and her unit
have located five of the 11 migrants
who have been hiding
in the mangroves for 13 hours.
Some are too weak to move.
We're gonna need some water and
somebody to lead us out of here.
We have a bunch of people
that are on the border line.
- We also have a juvenile.
- That's good. Copy.
We're about 200 yards behind you, guys.
Just stand by. Find shade.
Hydrate the best you can.
Hello? Can you hear me?
Concerned, Zach radios
his commanding officer
to request a second rescue helicopter.
BFA 831.
If they can get ahold of Brittany
or somebody.
All right, we'll try to get another
helo to you guys.
Are you feeling all right right now?
No, I mean, I'm gassed,
but I'm conserving energy.
Within minutes, air support appears,
unable to land in the dense mangroves,
the helicopter heads
towards Zach's location
in the open scrubland nearby.
The unit that broke off from us
and went to make the apprehension,
they're now going to be guided over to us
where we have a good landing zone,
and they're going to bring
the apprehended,
and the fatigued, and exhausted with them.
And you have decent shade.
We have the landing zone, and now we wait
and let them coordinate
their way back to us.
On the side of that bush?
Exactly where he stops above,
that's where they are.
Elsewhere on the island,
a separate unit has now located
the remaining six migrants
who have been stranded in the mangroves.
All from Ecuador.
Some are suffering from
minor injuries and heat exhaustion.
But no one appears seriously hurt.
They will be fully checked out by medics.
As the medivac sets off from the
mangrove forest with the other five,
all 11 migrants are now accounted for.
They will be taken to a processing center
where a decision will be made
whether to allow them to stay
in the United States or send
them back to their home country.
After a successful mission,
the agents sent to rescue them
are also safe.
All right.
The Florida Straits
between the Bahamas
and the southeast tip of America
attract avid fishermen
from both nations.
It's also a pastime which provides
a cover for more nefarious activity.
Off the coast of Fort Lauderdale,
agents Todd, Alex, and Mike,
are involved in a high speed pursuit.
- Are the lights on?
- Lights on.
When they ordered a fishing boat
which was coming towards port to stop,
it abruptly sped back out to sea.
Is he running? Is he evading?
Why is he turning around?
Finally, the boat responds
to blue lights and slows down.
He turned 180 degrees, almost
like he was trying to evade us.
Come forward for me a little bit.
Hey! Why don't you guys
come forward for me?
- Hey, can you guys understand me?
- You guys speak Spanish, English?
- English? Spanish? English.
- English.
All right,
move forward for me a little bit.
You, sir, come over here for me.
It's United States Customs.
- How are we doing today?
- Good.
All right, I'm doing good.
We're gonna come on board.
How many people you got on board?
- Just three.
- Just you three?
- Any weapons on board?
- No.
Do me a favor,
can you move these over here?
Until we get on board,
can everybody stay on that side?
Just for our safety.
- How we doing?
- Good, how are you?
All right. Everybody
United States citizens?
Okay. Who's the owner of the vessel?
- Whose boat is it?
- Mine.
The three men claimed to be friends
on a fishing trip.
A common cover story used by smugglers.
How many did you catch today?
We hooked up a few.
We seen, we're-- We--,
Trying to excite the bait.
We were seeing them behind the boat
and, well, you know how that goes.
While Mike looks for holes in their story,
Vessel Commander Todd keeps
a close eye from the agents' boat.
From a distance, we see these boats
that have
all these rods and reels on them.
But sometimes, more times than not,
if it is a smuggling venture,
and they're not strung with a line.
They're wrapped in plastic
from when they bought them.
From a distance, it looks like it's
a regular, recreational fishing boat,
but when you make your approach,
you look at them,
and they don't even have hooks on.
This boat's fishing rig is clearly in use,
but that doesn't mean
the occupants are in the clear.
Mike and Alex separate the boat
owner from the other two men,
and drilled down on their stories.
- You all right, sir?
- You look nervous.
- I am nervous.
- Why?
'Cause it's a police officer.
But you've got nothing
to be nervous about.
You have nothing illegal in the past.
- No, no.
- No? Okay.
Did you meet with anybody
when you went out fishing?
Did you stop and meet up
with any other boat?
So, right now
you were heading inland, right?
You were heading to port?
I was texting my wife and I had no signal.
So you went to get a signal
and then you turned around.
- Ah, okay.
- And I saw my text went through.
But Agent Alex isn't satisfied.
The boat's owner's nervous behavior
has aroused his suspicion.
He runs his ID
through the national crime database.
We're looking for wants or warrants,
any outstanding warrants.
Any type of criminal,
violent criminal history
that might put the agents in danger
while they're on board.
Things of that nature.
It shows he had a brush with the law.
- Have you been arrested before?
- Excuse me?
- Have you been arrested before?
- DWI.
- DWI, anything else?
- No.
Alex asked the same question
to one of the other crew members.
- Have you ever been arrested before?
- I have, yes.
- For what?
- Uh, for DUI.
- Back in 2012, I think.
- Anything else?
Um, no, nothing.
He, too, admits one offense.
But the database is showing
Nothing else?
Several more misdemeanor charges
that he's failing to disclose.
Nothing else.
His withholding of information
makes the agents wonder
what else he might be doing.
At a ferry terminal in Puerto Rico
This is hot.
A team of agents is searching a vehicle
believed to be loaded with narcotics.
There's nothing on top of the spare,
yeah, I've checked.
After running the canine
for a second time,
it alerted to a rear wheel.
One of the agents
is using a stick right now
to check the density of the wheel.
We'll put some pressure
on the wheel to see if it sounds,
like some areas are really dense.
But when the agent taps the tire,
it feels and sounds even in density.
If there were packages hidden within,
he'd most likely detect the change.
After an exhaustive search, agents
conclude the vehicle is clean.
There is a high frequency
of these ferries that come in,
probably around hourly.
It could be that maybe,
if they're tipped off,
the narcotics
could have been thrown overboard
or maybe they just moved the narcotics
prior to putting the vehicle on the ferry.
The fact that the canine alerted strongly,
suggests the vehicle's been loaded
at some point in the recent past.
But tonight, the driver is off the hook.
Off the coast of Fort Lauderdale,
Agents Mike and Alex
have boarded a fishing boat
which failed to stop when requested.
The owner's nervous behavior
is arousing suspicion.
So, too, is a crew member's failure
to come clean about his criminal history.
In fact, he has a number
of misdemeanor charges,
including drug possession.
Alex decides to search the vessel.
Come over here. How do you open
these two compartments?
- Yeah.
- Okay, come over here.
You gotta--
- Okay. All right.
- Right, move this.
- Can I move this?
- Sure, you can put it in there.
Put it in there, that's fine.
Pull it out.
Okay? Right, you can go back.
The compartments contain
nothing suspicious.
Next, Alex searches the stern.
So far, nothing.
But the cabin below deck is locked,
and the owner seems reluctant
to allow access.
They're asking the owner
to help him out with finding a key.
This actually is taking a little bit
longer than it normally would.
I'm just getting him to unlock it.
The owner appeared to be very,
almost nervous by that.
Almost watching
what was going on down below.
And a lot of times,
that's kind of a giveaway on
"Oh God,
they're gonna find something."
- Mike, I'm going to go under, okay?
- Yes.
The cabin is empty.
- That's good.
- Have a good rest of your day.
The entire boat appears clean.
- Take it easy, guys.
- Yep, we'll go up.
Leaving the three men
free to continue their day.
What was going on?
The owner of the vessel was super nervous.
- I noticed that from here.
- Yeah.
His demeanor immediately changed
when you had to go down below
to open a hatch
that you couldn't get open.
Why are you so nervous?
He kept asking him.
He said, "No, it's just
I never had cops on board."
Yeah, but why you so nervous?
Have you been arrested?
He said, "Oh, maybe one time."
- And then the other guy
- With the collared shirt.
- He said, "I think it was a DUI too."
- He had a whole bunch.
20 grams of marijuana.
So, he had a few charges.
- None open.
- They did have fishing gear.
They did have fish.
Satisfied that the men's evasive
behavior came down to anxiousness,
the crew heads back to Fort Lauderdale.
So, all in all, everything was good.
He was nervous about being
around law enforcement in general.
That could have been his demeanor.
We did our checks
and everything came back good.
We searched.
Nothing came back out
of the ordinary. And on we go.
Summertime is fun, I'll tell you.