Coast Guard offloads 14,000 pounds of cocaine in Miami
Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Murray
MIAMI, Fla. (FOX 13) - An estimated $190 million worth of cocaine was seized by Coast Guard officials, and offloaded in South Florida on Tuesday.
The amount of cocaine weighed about 14,000 pounds and seized in the international waters within the Eastern Pacific Ocean from suspected drug-smuggling vessels.
The efforts in seizing the drugs are a meant to combat drug operations, and agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security are involved. The Coast Guard increased U.S. and allied presence in the Easter Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off of Central and South America.
A suspect vessel is initially located by allied military or law enforcement personnel. The interdictions, including the actual boarding, are led by the U.S. Coast Guard.