Cocaine worth $28 million found on Miami boat
Cocaine worth almost $30 million has been found on a boat in the waters near Miami.
The discovery was made on December 2nd, and subsequently, three arrests have been made in connection with the drug seize.
Coast Guard officials pulled off the operation with helping hand courtesy of the US Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
Upon managing to get the boat to the pier, they searched the boat and found more than a thousand packages of cocaine, which collectively weighed 3,715 pounds with a street value of $28 million.
Lieutenant Matthew Ross, commanding officer at the Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, said in a statement of the discovery, “This was the largest USCG Small boat station cocaine seizure since 1995.”
Ross continued, “Protecting our maritime borders from illicit drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations remains one of our highest priorities.”
He also said of the mission, “The Coast Guard and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners remain vigilant in our shared efforts to keep our maritime borders safe by preventing illicit narcotics from reaching our communities.”
Meanwhile, the executive director at the CBP Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region, Andy Blanco, said in a separate statement, “Disrupting maritime narcotics smuggling like this demonstrates the power of teamwork in safeguarding our nation and holding criminals accountable.”
Blanco then sent a warning to drug smugglers, adding, “Smugglers should be warned that our whole-of-government team is watching, and they will be caught.”
As of yet, the names of those who have been arrested by authorities have not been revealed.
If found guilty of drug smuggling offences on this scale, the alleged perpetrators will face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment.