The Coast Guard seized more than $160 million of cocaine. They offloaded it in Miami Beach
A U.S. Coast Guard crew offloaded more than $160 million worth of cocaine at their base in Miami Beach following a 45-day patrol in the Caribbean, according to the military branch.
The crew on Friday seized about 8,500 pounds of cocaine and detained 13 suspected drug smugglers from the Dominican Republic and Colombia, the Coast Guard said in a news release the following day.
Other federal agencies and the Royal Netherlands Navy also participated in the operation, according to the Coast Guard.
“The Coast Guard’s strong international partnerships 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,” said Lt. Paul Puddington, a Coast Guard duty enforcement officer.
“We are thankful for coordinated efforts across the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, Customs and Border Protection, as well as our international partners from the Netherlands and throughout Central and South America,” he added.
A suspect vessel is initially detected and monitored by allied, military or law enforcement personnel coordinated by the Joint Interagency Task Force South, which is based in Key West. The law enforcement phase of operations in the Caribbean is conducted under the authority of the Seventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Miami, the military branch said.
Note: This story has been updated after the U.S. Coast Guard said April 5 it had erroneously reported the dollar amount. The correct amount is more than $160 million, the military branch said.
This story was originally published April 3, 2022 at 4:56 PM.
