Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer Aydin González Colón inaugurated a new joint facility in Ponce for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations and the U.S. Coast Guard, built with a $23.4 million investment. The facility returns a permanent base to both federal agencies in Ponce six years after the 2020 earthquakes.
As a congresswoman, González Colón had promoted this joint facility, and as governor, she pledged to continue supporting federal law enforcement. The new facility will enable both agencies to maintain operations from southern Puerto Rico, protecting borders, communities, and combating drug trafficking and violent crimes. The governor described the facility as a testament to Puerto Rico's reconstruction progress after past disasters and the Department of Homeland Security's commitment to expanding and modernizing its presence on the island.