The United States Coast Guard offloaded over $1 billion worth of cocaine and marijuana in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The move is one of the Coast Guard’s most significant seizures to date. Officials went on to reveal how much was taken, saying they seized about 54,500 pounds of cocaine along with 15,800 pounds of marijuana. Officials said the street value of the drugs amounts to over $1.06 billion. Footage that surfaced showed numerous pallets of the drugs on board a vessel before being seized at Port Everglades. The Coast Guard Cutter James commanding officer— Captain Todd Vance, said the crew took 30 metric tons of drugs “in their purest form.” Vance said, “We have collectively struck a significant blow to transnational criminal networks by removing 30 metric tons of drugs.”
According to Newsweek, the raid was a joint effort between the U.S. and Panama. Border Patrol and the United States Navy were reportedly present at the seizures.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) February 17, 2022