Coast Guard Offloads 18.5 Tons of Cocaine Near Miami

FORT LAUDERDLE, FL — The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded 18.5 tons of cocaine on Thursday near Miami. The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of $498 million. The cocaine was seized in 20 separate interdictions of suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

"Our efforts to interdict modern maritime smugglers involves intricately choreographed actions of joint, interagency and international operations centers, aircraft and vessels operating in concert against stealthy and well-funded international criminal smuggling organizations," said Capt. Scott Clendenin, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton, which delivered the cocaine to Port Everglades.

All of the illegal drugs were interdicted along Central and South America by the Coast Guard and a Royal Canadian Navy ship with a Coast Guard law enforcement presence aboard.

"The 18.5 tons of seized cocaine coming off our decks today is the product of partnerships and the collaboration of U.S. Southern Command, Joint Interagency Task Force-South, the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, State and Justice, the Canadian Navy and many of our international maritime service partners," Clendenin added. The Hamilton is a 418-foot National Security cutter homeported in Charleston, South Carolina.

Here is a vessel-by-vesssel breakdown of the interdictions that made up the 18.5 tons of cocaine:

• The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton was responsible for six cases, seizing an estimated 5,359 kilograms of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk was responsible for three cases, seizing an estimated 2,781 kilograms of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Dependable was responsible for three cases, seizing an estimated 2,640 kilograms of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Valiant was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 1,977 kilograms of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Campbell was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 1,506 kilograms of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Resolute was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 1,073 kilograms of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter James was responsible for one case, seizing an estimated 1,066 kilograms of cocaine.
• The Royal Canadian Ship HMCS Saskatoon and a Coast Guard LEDET were responsible for one case, seizing an estimated 454 kilograms of cocaine.

According to the Coast Guard, the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin are known drug transit zones off of Central and South America.

"During at-sea interdictions in international waters, a suspect vessel is initially located and tracked by allied military or law enforcement personnel. The interdictions, including the actual boarding, are led and conducted by U.S. Coast Guardsmen," Coast Guard officials said. "The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific are conducted under the authority of the 11th Coast Guard District headquartered in Alameda, California."

Photo by Chief Petty Officer NyxoLyno Cangemi