The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced a stunning seizure of illicit narcotics seized from “transnational criminal organizations,” including 23 million potentially lethal doses of cocaine, offloading the massive haul in Port Everglades — the largest quantity in Coast Guard history.
The USCG seized 76,140 pounds of illicit narcotics, valued at $473 million, in 19 interdictions conducted in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, according to the USCG announcement Monday. The haul constituted 61,740 pounds of cocaine and around 14,400 pounds of marijuana, with patrols intercepting drug-laden vessels as far away as the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador and other remote parts of the Pacific.
“The U.S. Coast Guard in partnership with our federal, DoD, and international partners are offloading 61,740 pounds of cocaine, and this represents a significant victory in the fight against transnational criminal organizations, highlighting our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation from illicit trafficking and its devastating impacts,” Rear Adm. Adam Chamie, Coast Guard Southeast District commander, said in the announcement. “To put this into perspective, the potential 23 million lethal doses of cocaine seized by the U.S. Coast Guard and our partners, are enough to fatally overdose the entire population of the state of Florida, underscoring the immense threat posed by transnational drug trafficking to our nation.”
(Image courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)
President Donald Trump has made a push to crack down on the drug trade, designating a slew of Latin American drug cartels as terrorist organizations and authorizing the military to target the groups. Additionally, more military assets are reportedly set to deploy to the southern Caribbean to intensify the fight against cartels and the drug trade.
“The commitment and sacrifice of our deployed service members and their families, who forego time together for the protection of our Nation, are to be celebrated,” Capt. John B. McWhite, commanding officer of USCG Cutter Hamilton, said in the announcement.
The USCG did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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