The United States Coast Guard has offloaded about 4,810 kilos of cocaine worth more than US$160.3 million seized in international waters of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in three separate cases.
The Coast Guard said the Coast Guard Cutter Spencer crew offloaded the drugs in Port Everglades, Florida, on Wednesday.
“Along with the illicit narcotics, eight suspected smugglers were apprehended and face prosecution in federal court by the Department of Justice,” a Coast Guard release disclosed.
According to the release, a suspect vessel is initially detected and monitored by U.S. or allied military or law enforcement personnel coordinated by Joint Interagency Task Force-South based in Key West.
It explained that once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and operational control shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension.
