Two suspected drug traffickers killed in shootout with CBP agents

Two suspected drug traffickers were killed on Sunday during a shootout with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents near Puerto Rico, according to authorities. 

The incident took place after federal agents noticed a suspicious boat shortly after midnight on Sunday and attempted to approach it. However, the boat sped off and a chase ensued, according to Jeffrey Quiñones, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told The Associated Press.

During the chase, drug traffickers opened fire, aiming for the CBP officers. The federal agents returned fire, ending the chase, Quiñones explained. 

Two suspects onboard the vessel were wounded by gunfire and succumbed to their wounds. Four other suspects were arrested. Their nationalities have not yet been confirmed.

No federal agents were injured during the incident. 

CBP officers found drugs onboard the ship and in the water. 

The incident comes two months after a CBP agent and a drug smuggler died during a shootout with a smuggling ship off Puerto Rico’s coast. Two other agents were wounded by gunfire during the incident.