Five hundred and fifty pounds of marijuana worth about $500,000 was offloaded from a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in Key West on Monday, the agency said.
Eight suspected drug smugglers in the case were put in the custody of Homeland Security Investigations, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
When two small Coast Guard boats approached their suspicious vessel near Isla de Tortue, Haiti on Dec. 27, the crew dumped packages containing marijuana in the water and attempted to flee, according to the agency.
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But the Coast Guard chased the suspects, got control of their vessel and apprehended the crew, the agency said.
The suspected drug smugglers and the marijuana were transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous, which brought them to Key West, the Coast Guard said.
