US Coast Guard seize cocaine valued US$8.5 million; two arrested

The United States Coast Guard, earlier this week, transferred custody of two suspected smugglers and US$8.5 million in seized cocaine to US federal agents at Coast Guard Base in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A go-fast vessel carrying the narcotics were interdicted in the Caribbean Sea. 

In a statement on Friday, the Coast Guard said the interdiction was the result of multi-agency efforts in support of the Miami, Florida-based US Southern Command’s enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programmes, and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF). 

The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico is leading the prosecution. 

“This successful interdiction is a reflection of the seamless team work and the unwavering resolve between the Coast Guard, our federal law enforcement and Department of Defense partners to protect the nation’s southernmost maritime border against narco-trafficking threats,” said Commander James L. Jarnac, US Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk commanding officer. 

“The strength of our joint collaboration and partnerships is key to a safer Caribbean region and disrupting transnational criminal organisation activities through the interdiction of drug smuggling vessels in the maritime domain,” he added.

The bust occurred on Sunday afternoon,  after the aircrew of a maritime patrol aircraft detected a suspicious 25-foot go-fast vessel, about 200 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic.

The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk diverted in response to the sighting and interdicted the go-fast vessel with the assistance of the cutter’s small boat, the US Coast Guard said. 

Following the interdiction, the Coast Guard Mohawk’s boarding team located and recovered nine bales of suspected contraband, which weighed about 302 kilogrammes (666 pounds) and tested positive for cocaine, the US Coast Guard said. 

“The crew of the cutter Mohawk embarked the seized contraband and the two men from the go-fast vessel, who both claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals,” the US Coast Guard said. 

“The Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. later embarked the two suspected smugglers and a representative sample of the contraband that were disembarked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Caribbean Corridor Strike Force federal law enforcement agents received custody,” it added. 

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