PORT EVERGLADES, FLA. (WSVN) - The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton offloaded more than 16,100 pounds of cocaine valued at approximately $182.8 million at Port Everglades on Monday, according to authorities.
The narcotics were intercepted in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off South and Central America during a three-and-a-half-month deployment in collaboration with interagency and international partners.
Six suspected smugglers were taken into federal custody for prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The mission was conducted as part of the Coast Guard’s efforts in the U.S. Southern Command’s joint operating area, which includes counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean.
Hamilton, a 418-foot National Security Cutter based in Charleston, South Carolina, operates with a crew of approximately 150 personnel. The cutter is equipped for various missions, including drug interdiction, migrant interdiction, and national defense.
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