PORT EVERGLADES, FLA. (WSVN) - The U.S. Coast Guard has offloaded tens of thousands of pounds of drugs intercepted at sea.
USCG crews recent drug busts led to Thursday’s offloading of approximately 30,000 pounds of narcotics at Port Everglades.
The drugs intercepted included around 11,500 pounds of cocaine and nearly 17,000 pounds of marijuana.
Officials estimate the total worth of the drugs to be nearly $228 million.
“Every kilogram of cocaine, every pound of marijuana you see here today represents a life saved, a crime prevented and a loss of revenue for the drug cartels,” said USCG Capt. Timothy Cronin. “That’s what we signed up to do in the Coast Guard, save lives, and it’s not just all about search and rescue cases; it’s about protecting our borders and keeping our streets safe.”
The offloading is a result of multiple Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea interdictions.
USCG officials said 28 drug smugglers from Central and South America were caught transporting nearly 14 tons of illegal narcotics. They also said the drugs were en route to the U.S.
Cronin said his team made nine interdictions in just over four weeks.
“They showed what it takes to work together and produced the results you see here today,” he said.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan reaffirmed her office’s stance on the war against drugs.
“We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute all transnational criminal organizations and cartels that threaten our national health, safety and security,” she said.
The 28 alleged drug traffickers have since been detained and are facing criminal charges in Florida.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.