The Coast Guard seized 30,000 pounds of drugs. They offloaded it at Port Everglades
The U.S. Coast Guard posted a cryptic tweet early Tuesday morning that read: “the @USCG Cutter James is to offload more than 30,000lbs in #PortEverglades.”
Not surprisingly, some people queried “of what?” while others ventured theories.
“Lost Amazon packages.”
We haven’t lost our sense of humor.
A news bulletin issued late Monday night explains that the Coast Guard Cutter James will “offload approximately 30,000 pounds of cocaine, marijuana at Port Everglades.”
The revelation was unveiled at a media event at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Fort Lauderdale port.
Here’s the breakdown of the drugs
▪ Cocaine: about 23,000 pounds.
▪ Marijuana: about 6,900 pounds.
▪ The street value: an estimated $408 million.
According to the Coast Guard, the drugs were seized in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America. Also in the Caribbean Sea, “including contraband seized and recovered during 11 interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels by four Coast Guard cutters and two U.S. Navy ships.”
The cutters and ships involved
Two cutters in Florida: The Cutter Mohawk, ported in Key West, one seizure of about 1,700 pounds of cocaine.
And, the Cutter Confidence, ported in Port Canaveral, one seizure of about 1,089 pounds of cocaine.
The Cutter James, ported in Charleston, South Carolina, four seizures of about 8,400 pounds of cocaine and 3,350 pounds of marijuana.
The Cutter Escanaba, ported in Boston, one seizure of about 2,200 pounds of cocaine.
On ship in Florida: The USS Lassen, ported at the Naval station in Mayport, two seizures of about 575 pounds of cocaine and 3,575 pounds of marijuana.
And, the USS Pinckney, ported at the Naval base in San Diego, two seizures of about 9,050 pounds of cocaine.
Taking the fight to the cartels
“Under the leadership of U.S. Southern Command and Joint Interagency Task Force South, Coast Guard and Navy forces worked side by side to stop the flow of illegal narcotics on the high seas before it could make landfall in Central America and continue its northward journey into the United States,” Capt. Jeffrey Randall, commanding officer of the Cutter James, said in the bulletin. “Working along side our partner agencies, we continue to take the fight to the drug cartels and make an impact on these criminal organizations who spread this poison on our streets. I couldn’t be more proud of my crew and their hard work.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 10:12 AM.
