At least five people were involved in a maritime shooting between U.S. border agents and drug smugglers that took place off the coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday morning, the Washington Examiner was first to report Thursday.

The shootout happened 14 miles off the coast of northwestern Puerto Rico. Three federal agents were shot, according to a federal officer and a statement from Customs and Border Protection.

The agents were from the Customs and Border Protection‘s Air and Marine Operations arm. AMO agents work the air and sea to patrol for human and drug smugglers. The incident took place around 8:00 a.m. local time, one hour ahead of Eastern time.

The agents were “involved in an exchange of gunfire with individuals on board a suspected smuggling vessel upon approach 14 miles off the coast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico,” CBP confirmed to the Washington Examiner.

One law enforcement source there said the agents interdicted the smugglers as they had been transferring drugs on board to another vessel. Two men were taken into federal custody, according to a local news outlet.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/us-border-agents-shot-fatal-narcos-puerto-rico