SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KNX) — More than 11,300 pounds of cocaine and 4,000 pounds of marijuana were offloaded Thursday by the United States Coast Guard in San Diego, a result of about one month of seizures in international waters.
The haul is estimated to be worth some $223 million dollars, the Coast Guard said in a statement, explaining that the drugs were captured in eight interceptions of the illegal substances in both the eastern Pacific Ocean and off the coasts of Central and South America.
"At-sea [interceptions] of pure cocaine are the most effective way to limit cartel's destabilizing effects throughout the Western Hemisphere," said Vice Admiral Michael McAllister, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander.
McAllister said the drugs were seized from suspected drug smuggling vessels in interdictions between late February and early March and offloaded Thursday by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756).
"Coast Guard national security cutters like Kimball are the service's most capable asset to strengthen maritime governance, but when team partners from the Royal Canadian Navy and U.S. Navy Littoral combat ships they leverage our network of international and interagency partners to reduce the availability of illicit drugs in the Western Hemisphere and facilitate U.S. Attorney's efforts to close the cycle of justice," McAllister said.
The drugs were seized as follows:
Kimball's crew was responsible for one interdiction seizing approximately 2,295 pounds of cocaine.
Coast Guard Cutter Legare's (WMEC 912) crew was responsible for four interdictions, seizing approximately 4,714 pounds of cocaine and 1,826 pounds of marijuana.
Coast Guard Cutter Spencer's (WMEC 905) crew was responsible for one interdiction seizing approximately 635 pounds of cocaine and 2,250 pounds of marijuana.
Jointly, Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Yellowknife (MM 706) and Kimball's crews were responsible for one interdiction, seizing approximately 331 pounds of cocaine.
Jointly, the crews of the Kimball and Legare were responsible for one interdiction, seizing approximately 3,326 pounds of cocaine.
In a statement shared with KNX by the Coast Guard, officials said work like this prevents the sale and distribution of "hundreds of metric tons of cocaine a year, with seizures of vast amounts of drugs at unprecedented levels."
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