FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded more than 45,000 pounds of illegal drugs, mostly cocaine, at Port Everglades on Thursday, marking what officials called an “unprecedented seizure.”
The drugs, which authorities valued at more than $500 million, were intercepted during 14 separate interdictions of smuggling vessels off the coasts of Mexico, Central America and South America, according to officials.
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While officials did not provide specific details on the takedowns, the Coast Guard has previously used tactics such as firing on boat engines from helicopters to stop traffickers.
Some of the seized narcotics were displayed at a press conference attended by Coast Guard members and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Here at Port Everglades, over 22.5 tons – or 45,000 lb – of cocaine and 50 lb of marijuana, valued at over half a billion dollars, are going to be offloaded and taken out of circulation,” Noem said.
She added that the operation aligns with President Donald Trump’s border security plan to prevent illegal drugs from entering the United States.