$510M of cocaine, marijuana seized by U.S. Coast Guard offloaded in South Florida, 34 suspects face charges

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says nearly three dozen people face charges in 11 different cases after the Coast Guard seized tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs from vessels linked to two Mexican cartels.

By the numbers:

The Coast Guard says crews intercepted more than 44,550 pounds of cocaine and 3,880 pounds of marijuana – with a total value of $509.9 million – in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

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Courtesy: U.S. Coast Guard.

What they're saying:

Bondi spoke on Wednesday at a news conference at Port Everglades, where the seized drugs were offloaded.

She said investigators have linked the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels to the drug shipments, calling the seizures a "major blow" to their operations.

"These defendants will be held accountable for bringing this poison into our country," Bondi said. "I always say, if we can save one life, one life, we have done amazing work, and today we have saved thousands and thousands of lives as a result of this incredible cooperation."

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The Source: This story was written with information from the U.S. Coast Guard.

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