With the Coast Guard’s latest cocaine interdiction of $23 million worth of cocaine from a ship near the coast of Panama, the coastal watchdog said it has seized almost $3 billion worth of drugs in the last year.
The latest interdiction saw the USCG grab $23 million worth of cocaine during an operation in the Caribbean. The Coast Guard unloaded roughly 719 kilograms of cocaine Thursday at the Coast Guard station in Miami Beach.
The drugs were confiscated during a Sept. 8 interdiction. Officials say a Coast Guard crew was on routine patrol when they spotted a suspicious 208-foot cargo vessel in international waters northeast of Panama.
According to the Coast Guard, the crew found multiple packages of contraband throughout the ship. Thirteen people aboard the ship were taken into custody.
Recently, Coast Guard cutters seized 973 kilos on August 10, 1,500 kilos on August 28, and the most recent seizure of 719 kilos. Combined, the seized drugs have a wholesale value of $105 million.
The typical route is from Colombia to Central America with the end destination being the United States. The drug shipments are also increasing horrific crimes in Central America.
“It is no coincidence that Honduras, which is one of the leading places to land drugs is also the number one murder rate per capita in the world,” said Coast Guard Commander Timothy Cronin.
