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The United States Coast Guard intercepted a suspicious smuggling vessel near Miami and discovered a shipment of marijuana and cocaine valued at approximately 1.3 million dollars, authorities reported.
The interdiction occurred around 2:15 p.m., about 8 miles off the coast of Miami, when the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Richard Etheridge stopped the vessel to conduct a boarding.
During the operation, a joint team of agencies discovered approximately 17 pounds of marijuana and 174 pounds of cocaine, substances that were later confirmed through laboratory testing, according to the official report.
Authorities reported that two alleged smugglers were arrested so that the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) can continue the investigation.
The report does not identify the detainees or detail the origin or destination of the shipment, nor does it specify if charges were filed at that time.
Lieutenant Zane Carter, commander of the Coast Guard cutter Richard Etheridge, stated that the crew is committed to "keeping drugs off the streets and protecting the borders of the United States."
He also expressed that he feels “extremely proud” of his team's professionalism and the integration with the participating agencies.
The official report listed the entities involved in the operation: Southeast District of the Coast Guard, Miami Sector of the Coast Guard, vessel Richard Etheridge (Coast Guard), Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), K9 unit of the CBP Field Operations Office.
In its statement, the Coast Guard noted that the crews of the Southeast District work daily to secure the maritime border and prevent illegal drugs from entering the United States.
Also in February, the Coast Guard offloaded at Port Everglades approximately 17,750 pounds of cocaine valued at over $133.5 million, as a result of a series of interdictions carried out in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
According to the report from the government agency, the seized shipment originated from four interdictions.
The Coast Guard indicated that 80% of drug seizures destined for the United States occur at sea, and as a result, 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 funding of criminal organizations that also facilitate the production and trafficking of illegal fentanyl.
According to the document, the operations involved the Seneca Coast Guard cutter, a Coast Guard helicopter, the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South), and units from the Southeast and Southwest Districts of the Coast Guard.
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