The U.S. Coast Guard announced it had unloaded a hefty quantity of confiscated cocaine in San Diego, California that was worth an estimated $468 million.
The nearly 34,000 pounds of illicit drugs were seized while intersecting eight separate suspected drug smuggling vessels off the coast of Mexico and Central and South America by the Coast Guard Cutter Munro in February and March.
Coast Guard Cutter Monro Captain Rula Deisher said that the seizure of the cocaine is a testament of his crew's "dedication and grit."
"The crew put in an incredible amount of work over very long hours, and I couldn’t be prouder of them," Deishe said in a news release. "Their dedication and grit goes to show that Munro is one of the best national security cutters in the fleet, and we are committed to keeping the country safe by stopping illegal drugs before they hit the street."
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The latest seizure is the largest since the Coast Guard announced the seizure of 33,200 pounds of cocaine and 12,400 pounds of marijuana in October.
The offloaded drugs were interdicted during 13 separate cases in October in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
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"This offload is about national security," said Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, commander U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area. "It represents one part of a very large and strong interagency team that works closely with our allies and international partners to interdict maritime smuggling of dangerous and illegal drugs into the United States."
American drug interdiction efforts involve every federal law enforcement and defense agency, including the Coast Guard, Homeland Security, the Pentagon, the FBI and the Justice Department, among many others.
