Coast Guard offloads illegal drugs valued at $148 million at Miami Beach base
More than $148 million of illegal narcotics were offloaded at the Coast Guard’s Miami Beach station on Tuesday.
The drop off, by Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless’ crew, included drugs seized from three separate interdictions in the Caribbean Sea, in the past two weeks.
According to the Coast Guard, nine suspected drug smugglers from the Dominican Republic and Colombia were captured and will be prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Puerto Rico, Southern District of Florida and the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave Knight crew seized about 1,200 pounds of cocaine. Coast Guard Cutter William Trump and the His Netherlands Majesty’s Ship Hollands’ crew seized about 6,700 pounds of cocaine in two interdictions.
Hansel Pintos, Seventh District spokesperson, said the international partnerships help “counter threats in the maritime domain, protect each of our countries from transnational organized crime, and work to stabilize and promote good governance in the region.”
How at-sea interdictions work
According to the Coast Guard, a suspect vessel is initially detected and monitored by allied, military or law enforcement personnel coordinated by Joint Interagency Task Force-South based in Key West.
The law enforcement phase of operations in the Caribbean Sea is conducted under the authority of the Seventh Coast Guard District, its office headquartered in Miami.
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard perform the interdictions, including the actual boardings, of suspected drug boats.
