SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico.- The United States Coast Guard intercepted three alleged smugglers with drug shipments in the Caribbean Sea, valued at approximately $18.1 million.
The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Robert Yered unloaded more than 1,380 pounds of cocaine seized (valued at more than 18 million dollars), according to the report place U.S. Coast Guard officer
A Coast Guard detachment deployed aboard a U.S. Navy ship intercepted a boat with three people transporting illegal drugs in international waters of the Caribbean Sea.
As the Coast Guard approached, the boat with the cargo began to capsize and a combined Navy and Coast Guard crew subsequently rescued the three suspected smugglers from the water before recovering the bales that had been dumped into the depths from the sea.
“This operation was a testament to the capabilities of our Navy, Coast Guard and interagency teams. Sailors from the St. Louis and HSM-50, and Coast Guard cutters from LEDET 105 used every resource and capability at their disposal to track and interdict the vessel and then respond to safeguard the lives of the three suspected smugglers,” said Commander TJ Orth.
The three alleged smugglers will be prosecuted in federal court by the United States Department of Justice.
Various bodies are systematically involved in the detection and interception of illicit drug traffickers on the high seas.
The Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Florida, is responsible for detecting and monitoring illegal drug traffic by air and sea. Once interdiction becomes imminent, the U.S. Coast Guard takes over operations.
#DrugBust The crew of @USCG
Cutter Robert Yered offloaded more than 1,380 lbs of cocaine w/ an assessed street value of approximately $18.1M, Wed., in Miami Beach, after crews from the @USNavy‘s USS St. Louis interdicted the go-fast vessel.
Read more: https://t.co/DDf1M7iQOn pic.twitter.com/ZfeKjNtnTJ— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) August 15, 2024
Maritime drug trafficking
In an effort to prevent drug trafficking, U.S. and Cuban authorities have intercepted people with shipments of illegal substances.
Last year, the Border Guards of Cubain coordination with the United States Coast Guard, seized 17 containers with 340.7 kg of marijuana in waters near the municipality of Banes, province of Holguín.
The Miami Coast Guard informed Cuban authorities of the presence in the area of a suspected drug trafficking vessel with two crew members on board.
Two surface units of the Border Guard Troops were sent to the site, which detected the offending target; they began the pursuit, and minutes later the throwing of packages from the boat into the sea was observed, maintaining the follow-up until 18.8 miles north of Faro Lucrecia, where a helicopter from the Miami Coast Guard Service was identified when it was flying over the offending boat.
The Coast Guard informed Cuban authorities that the boat was intercepted and sunk by its crew, who were detained by the US.
The seized containers were transferred to the Holguín Naval Squadron and handed over to the Provincial Operational Guard.
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