Coast Guard Offloads $15 million in Seized Cocaine
Posted on July 13, 2021 by Seapower Staff
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos crew offloaded nearly $15 million in seized cocaine and transferred custody of two male smugglers at Coast Guard Base San Juan Monday, following the interdiction of a go-fast vessel in Mona Passage waters near Mona Island, Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard7th District said in a July 13 release.
The interdiction resulted from multi-agency efforts in support of U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere and coordination with the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF). The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico is leading the prosecution for this case.
During a routine patrol July 11, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft (MEA) aircrew detected two men aboard a go-fast vessel suspected of drug trafficking. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos, operating in the vicinity with a CBP AMO Officer onboard, diverted and responded in hot pursuit to interdict the suspect vessel.
https://seapowermagazine.org/coast-guard-offloads-15-million-in-seized-cocaine/
