US Coast Guard Reports Multi-Million Drug Bust

US Coast Guard Reports Multi-Million Drug BustThe US Coast Guard seized more than 3,500 pounds of marijuana with an estimated wholesale value of USD3.5 million, and detained five suspected smugglers during a drug interdiction in the Caribbean Sea, southwest of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

 

While on patrol July 8, the Coast Guard Cutter Northland,  a 270-foot medium endurance cutter, detected the suspicious 68-foot motor vessel An-Nur transiting the Caribbean Sea with five crewmembers onboard.

Northland’s boarding team discovered 3,591 pounds of marijuana onboard.

The Northland crew seized the marijuana, detained the crew, and took the An-Nur in tow.

The Northland transferred the illegal drug shipment, the vessel, and detainees to the custody of Customs and Border Protection and Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents, who will be leading a criminal investigation into the case as part of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force.

US Coast Guard Reports Multi-Million Drug Bust

Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico said: “Our message continues to be the same: we will detect and interdict drug smugglers attempting to flood our island with their poisonous cargo. These arrests are a clear indication of the continued success of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force.”

Since October 2013, the Coast Guard has seized 17,591 kilograms of cocaine and 4,341 pounds of marijuana during 25 counter-drug interdictions under Operation Unified Resolve, in partnership with regional law enforcement authorities in the Caribbean.

The wholesale value for these seizures is worth more than USD 444 million.

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Press Release, July 23, 2014