U.S. Coast Guard Offloads Over 4,125 Pounds Of Drugs Worth $54 Million Seized In Caribbean Sea

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Diligence crew offloaded over 4,125 pounds of cocaine worth $54 million in Port Everglades, Florida, on September 9, 2024.

The illegal narcotics were seized in international waters of the Caribbean Sea during three separate interdictions in cooperation with interagency and international partners.

The joint cooperation involved multiple assets, including the Royal Navy ship HMS Trent (P 244), the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier (WPC 1115), U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO), the U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team Pacific (PAC-TACLET), and the Joint Interagency Task Force South.

Apart from the illegal narcotics interception, 11 suspected smugglers have been arrested and will face prosecution in federal courts by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The detention and seizure are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiatives, which aim to disrupt the high-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States.

Lieutenant Matthew Carmine, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier, praised the crew’s “tenacity and professionalism” during what he described as a “complex counter-drug mission.”

He also highlighted the need to coordinate with Coast Guard aircrews, foreign allies, and partner agencies to deal with drug trafficking organizations and ensure the safety of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

The mission to locate and arrest drug traffickers on the high seas requires major interagency and international coordination.

The Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South), based in Key West, Florida, is in charge of tracking and monitoring aerial and maritime drug transits.

When interdiction is about to happen, control is given to the United States Coast Guard’s Seventh District, headquartered in Miami, which is in charge of the operation’s law enforcement phase.

Reference: USCG

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