Coast Guard crews in Miami seize $160 million worth of cocaine. So, what did it look like?
Ever wonder what more than $160 million in cocaine looks like? That’s how much the Coast Guard confiscated this week.
Crews on Tuesday uncovered more than 12,100 pounds of drugs in nine separate busts in the Caribbean Sea, according to a release from the Coast Guard District Seven, which is headquartered in Miami. The Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal British Navy and U.S. Customs and Border Protection assisted in the crackdowns.
A total of 17 people were arrested and will face time in federal prison, according to the release. The Coast Guard district told the Miami Herald it can’t release information about the detained people, citing that they haven’t been formally charged as of Wednesday evening.
The cases will be handled by several U.S. Attorneys’ offices, including the Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida and District of Puerto Rico.
“Yesterday’s contraband offload represents what can be achieved when U.S. and international defense and law enforcement agencies work together to combat the entry of illicit drugs into the United States,” Coast Guard District Seven’s Lt. Fernando Pla said in the release.
The Coast Guard’s efforts to stop drug trafficking involve collaboration with other law enforcement agencies at the federal and international level, according to the release. When monitoring suspected smugglers in the Caribbean, a Key West-based task force tips off Coast Guard District Seven, which then prepares to seize the illegal substances.
