The Coast Guard intercepted a vessel off the coast of Icacos, Cedros, on Wednesday night carrying 20 Venezuelan nationals, food products, live birds and other items believed to have been brought into the country illegally.

Around 10 p.m., officers were on coastal patrol when they stopped a white pirogue marked TCF 1496. On board were six men, six women and eight children, all Venezuelan nationals.

The vessel also contained 32 buckets of white cheese, four bags of assorted meats, five tubs of pork pudding and sausages, three transparent packets of a white powdery substance, and a cage with 14 bullfinch birds.