The United States Coast Guard offloaded this Friday at Port Everglades approximately 17,750 pounds of cocaine valued at over 133.5 million dollars, as a result of a series of interdictions carried out in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the information released about the operation.
According to the report from the government agency, the seized shipment came from four interdictions.
The first incident occurred on January 25, when the crew of the coast guard ship Seneca detected a fast vessel, and the airborne unit of the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) employed "air force use tactics."
After the boarding, the Seneca team seized 4,410 pounds of cocaine.
The second operation took place on January 31, when the Seneca detected three speedboats. Again, with the support of HITRON, the interception and boarding of the three vessels were carried out, resulting in the seizure of an additional 13,340 pounds of cocaine.
Captain Lee Jones, officer in command of the Seneca, stated that the deployment demonstrates the "reinforced stance" and the "continued success" in the fight against "narcoterrorism" and transnational criminal organizations.
He emphasized that the Coast Guard, along with interagency and international partners, conducts patrols in areas associated with drug trafficking to prevent smugglers from accessing maritime routes used to transport narcotics to U.S. borders.
According to the document, the operations involved the coast guard cutter Seneca, a Coast Guard helicopter, the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South), and units from the Southeast and Southwest Districts of the Coast Guard.
The text further explains that the JIATF-South, based in Key West, is responsible for the detection and monitoring of the aerial and maritime traffic of illicit drugs, and that when an interdiction is imminent, operational control shifts to the Coast Guard during the law enforcement phase.
The Coast Guard stated that 80% of drug seizures destined for the United States occur at sea, and for that reason, it is accelerating its anti-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific in support of Operation Pacific Viper, aiming to curb the flow of narcotics from South America and limit the financing of criminal organizations that — according to the report — also facilitate the production and trafficking of illegal fentanyl.
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