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US Coast Guard seizes cocaine in Caribbean Sea
The United States law enforcement authorities said they had seized 54 bales of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea with an estimated street value of more than US$38 million.
The Coast Guard said that it had collaborated with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the operations.
“The commitment and resolve of federal and local law enforcement authorities working under the Caribbean Border Interagency Group is delivering strong and continuous successful outcomes interdicting major drug shipments at sea as far from shore as possible,” said Coast Guard Capt. Drew Pearson.
“We stand watch 24-7 to protect the safety and security of the citizens of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands from the threats delivered by the sea,” he added.
Pearson said that while on routine patrol, the crew of a CBP maritime patrol aircraft detected three men aboard a suspicious Panga-type vessel, operating with no navigational lights, about 73 nautical miles south of Naguabo.
“The crew of the CBP maritime patrol aircraft observed the men onboard the suspect vessel jettison their cargo overboard as they fled the area at a high rate of speed following a pursuit by Coast Guard and CBP authorities in the area,” the Coast Guard said, adding that law enforcement official retrieved the cargo from the water.
“This seizure should send a clear message to unscrupulous drug smugglers and its Caribbean Border Interagency Group partners will remain vigilant in our efforts to prevent the importation of narcotics to Puerto Rico,” said Angel Melendez, special agent in charge of HSI San Juan.
“We will continue with this investigation and will not rest until we bring to justice those responsible for this attempt to import this huge amount of cocaine to our jurisdiction,” he added.
Since September 2012, the US Coast Guard said law enforcement agencies have seized 27,650 kilograms of cocaine in partnership with regional law enforcement authorities in the Caribbean.
The Coast Guard said the wholesale value for these seizures is worth more than US$829 million.
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