FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CBS12) — Following a multinational crackdown at sea, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) offloaded $138 million worth of cocaine and marijuana Friday off the coast of Fort Lauderdale.
USCG reported its crews offloaded 17,450 pounds of cocaine and 2,585 pounds of marijuana.
According to the USCG, the massive haul was seized one day after offloading 840 pounds, worth an estimated $6.2 million, of cocaine on Thursday, off the coast of Miami Beach
See also: WATCH: Florida felon nabbed hiding under RV with stash of drugs after traffic stop
The seized narcotics were the result of six interdictions in the Caribbean Sea, according to a news release:
May 19: A maritime patrol aircraft detected a suspicious vessel about 85 miles north of Aruba. The USCGC Valiant’s crew intercepted the vessel and confiscated approximately 2,645 pounds of cocaine.May 22: Another suspicious vessel was spotted by a maritime patrol aircraft roughly 170 miles north of Aruba. The Valiant’s crew conducted the interdiction, seizing approximately 7,750 pounds of cocaine.May 25: A maritime patrol aircraft located a suspicious vessel 290 miles south of the Dominican Republic. The USS Gravely, along with embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 401, interdicted the vessel and seized around 840 pounds of cocaine. The drugs were transferred to the USCGC Vigorous.May 29: A maritime patrol aircraft identified a suspicious vessel about 140 miles south of the Dominican Republic. His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) William Hall and embarked Coast Guard LEDET 103 carried out the interdiction, securing approximately 750 pounds of cocaine. The narcotics were later transferred to the Valiant.May 29: On the same day, another suspicious vessel was spotted approximately 15 miles north of Venezuela. The Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS Friesland and embarked Coast Guard LEDET 404 intercepted the vessel, seizing around 4,050 pounds of cocaine and 2,585 pounds of marijuana. May 31: The last interdiction was 185 miles north of Colombia, where crews boarded a suspicious vessel and seized approximately 2,250 pounds of cocaine. The narcotics were transferred to the Valiant.
“They sacrifice time away from their families and when necessary, put themselves in harm’s way to secure our borders and protect the American people,” said Cmdr. Matthew Press, commanding officer of Valiant. “Collaborating with the United States Navy, Royal Canadian, and Royal Netherlands Navies, our multinational team disrupted transnational criminal organizations, making the world a safer place.”
The USCGC Valiant is a 210 cutter homeported in Jacksonville, and the USCGC Vigorous is a 210-foot cutter homeported in Virginia Beach.
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Following a multinational crackdown at sea, the U.S. Coast Guard offloaded 17,450 pounds of cocaine and 2,585 pounds of marijuana Friday off the Florida coast. Read More
