Courtesy: USCG
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa offloaded nearly 33,000 pounds of illegal drugs worth an estimated $226.7 million Wednesday at Port Everglades following a series of operations in international waters.
Port Everglades drug offload
What we know:
Crew members from the 270-foot cutter unloaded roughly 29,600 pounds of cocaine and 3,355 pounds of marijuana at the South Florida port. Capt. Joshua DiPietro, commanding officer of Tampa, praised the crew for their teamwork during complex operations to stop illicit narcotics from reaching American shores.
Courtesy: USCG
Joint counter-drug interdictions
What we don't know:
Officials have not released the identities or exact total of suspects taken into custody during the maritime operations. The total number of criminal prosecutions resulting from the six seizures has also not yet been made public.
Eastern Pacific operations
The backstory:
The interdictions occurred in international waters across the Eastern Pacific Ocean as part of a multi-agency effort targeting transnational criminal organizations. The operation combined efforts from Joint Interagency Task Force South, Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team - Pacific LEDET 102, Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, Coast Guard Southwest District, and the USS Gridley.
Stopping drug flow
Big picture view:
Under Title 14 law enforcement authorities, the Coast Guard works with local, federal, and international partners to detect and deter maritime trafficking. Vice Adm. Jo-Ann Burdian said the unified efforts leverage critical partnerships to degrade criminal networks and defend national borders.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official statements released by the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area command.