The US Coast Guard says the crew of the Cutter Margaret Norvell on Wednesday offloaded more than 2,450 pounds of cocaine in Miami, Florida, with an assessed street value of about US$32.2 million (J$4.9 billion), seized in the Caribbean Sea.
The Coast Guard said its crews intercepted the illegal drug during two separate cases.
“Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the Coast Guard crews and agency partners involved with this interdiction, Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell brought these suspected smugglers and illicit contraband ashore for prosecution,” said Lieutenant Commander Colin Weaver.
“Coast Guard crews continue to deliver on our important missions of homeland and maritime security to save lives and thwart transnational criminal organizations operating in the Caribbean,” he added, disclosing that the US Coast Guard Cutters Richard Dixon and Dauntless, as well as the Joint Interagency Task Force South, were involved in the interdictions.
The US Coast Guard said six suspected smugglers were apprehended and will face prosecution in United States federal courts by the US Department of Justice.
The US Coast Guard said its members perform interdictions in the Caribbean Sea under the authority and control of the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, headquartered in Miami.