May 2, 2011
Contact: SA Waldo Santiago
Caribbean Division
(787) 277-4700

(L-R) PR/VI HIDTA Director Jose M. Alvarez, DEA Caribbean Division SAC Javier F. Peña, at the podium delivering his remarks to the news media, U.S. Attorney Rosa E. Rodriguez, District of Puerto Rico and ASAC Pedro Janer, Caribbean Division, announce the DEA National Take Back Day at a news conference on April 27, 2011.	A citizen deposits unused and expired prescription drugs at a collection site in Puerto Rico on April 30, 2011.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Division collected approximately 1,223 pounds of prescription drugs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands during the DEA National Take Back Day announced today Javier F. Peña, Special Agent in Charge of the Caribbean Division.

“This amount represents more than 1/2 ton of prescription drugs turned in by the public on both United States territories that will not make it into the illegal drug market,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Javier F. Peña. “DEA thanks the people of Puerto Rico and of the U.S. Virgin Islands for their overwhelming support to this effort to keep prescription drugs out of the wrong hands”

In Puerto Rico DEA collected 715 pounds of prescription drugs. In the U. S. Virgin Islands DEA collected 508 pounds of prescription drugs. DEA operated 30 collections sites in Puerto Rico and 7 in the U.S. Virgin Islands last Sunday.

The following agencies and community organizations provided significant assistance to DEA during the National Take Back Day: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Police Department, PR-VI High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Virgin Islands Police Department, Virgin Islands National Guard, National Park Service and the U.S. Postal Service in the USVI.