FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After a dangerous operation, members of the U.S. Coast Guard showed off their latest drug haul Monday — which included the seizure of over 26,000 lbs of cocaine and nearly 3,700 lbs of marijuana, all picked up over a 24-day period.
The cutter Hamilton was docked at Port Everglades for the announcement.
“Every kilo of cocaine on this flight deck represents a life saved, a crime prevented, and money denied for criminal organizations,” said Capt. Matthew Brown, commanding officer of the Hamilton.
The drugs were valued at more than $500 million, and about two dozen suspects were detained in the operation. Cranes and other heavy machinery were needed to offload the bales from the cutter. The drugs will be turned over to the DEA.
“This is a big seizure,” said Vice Adm. Steven Poulin, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area. “Drug trafficking organizations undermine the rule of law. They cause corruption, promote violence and weaken institutions.”
Collectively, the drugs seized weigh more than 12 metric tons. Coast Guard officials say they were collected during eight different interdictions in the Pacific and Caribbean regions.
“The vessels I spoke about, they’re small. They’re going fast, they’re on the high seas,” Brown said. “There’s typically three individuals on each vessel. That can vary from time to time.”
While drug seizures are nothing new, authorities say they are seeing more traffickers taking extreme risk while out at sea, including operating their vessels at night while overweight.
“We see these vessels marked with these illicit cargo, with only a little bit of feet above the waterline,” Brown said. “So they’re operating out in extreme conditions. And I think we’re seeing more ... from our experience, we’re seeing that become more and more the normalcy in that region.”