The U.S. Coast Guard recently intercepted a suspected smuggling boat off the coast of Puerto Rico, preventing the smuggling of over $50 million worth of cocaine.
On Friday, August 21, the Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon stopped a suspected drug-smuggling ship about 50 miles south of Puerto Rico. They discovered 7,250 pounds of cocaine worth about $54.5 million on board.
With the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, five people on the alleged smuggling boat were detained and taken into custody. The Coast Guard reported that it destroyed the boat because it posed a navigation hazard.
“This interdiction shows what ready crews and strong interagency partnerships can achieve in the maritime domain,” said Coast Guard Southeast District Commander Adm. Adam Chamie. “The Richard Dixon crew, Air Station Miami and our Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations partners stopped more than 7,000 pounds of cocaine before it could reach our communities, and we will keep taking the fight to the criminal networks that threaten our region.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made another massive seizure
On August 22, at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility in Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered $10,750,000 worth of suspected methamphetamine hidden in a shipment manifested as leeks.
CBP officers made the unusual drug seizure after they came upon a tractor-trailer with a shipment of leeks that was traveling from Reynosa, Mexico. Officers sent the truck to secondary for additional examination using non-intrusive inspection tools and a canine team.
The inspection revealed irregularities in the trailer, and a canine detected the smell of drugs. Following a physical examination of the trailer, officers found 395 packets of alleged methamphetamine totaling 1,204.82 pounds hidden within the trailer.
“Our officers continue to be on a streak of success,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. “The efforts of our CBP officers continue to be illustrated with massive disruptions of smuggling attempts at our international crossings.”