MIAMI, Fl — Just imagine the scene in Miami when the U.S. Coast Guard rolled into port, loaded with more than seven tons of cocaine! The Coast Guard said in a news release that authorities intercepted more than 14,000 pounds of cocaine in international waters of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in nine separate cases. The cocaine was worth an estimated $186 million. Twelve suspects have been arrested and are now facing federal charges in the United States.
“The contraband offloaded today represents the professional expertise and dedication of U.S. defense and law enforcement agencies working together to combat the flow of illicit drugs through the Caribbean Region into the United States,” said Lt. Peter Hutchison, duty enforcement officer at Coast Guard District Seven.
Coast Guard helicopters and ships, alongside Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, joined forces to conduct the seizures and arrests.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cocaine-involved deaths are on the rise. Deaths increased by nearly 54% from 2019 to 2021.