More than 550 pounds of cocaine worth some $6.25 million was found on a cargo ship at Miami's seaport, officials said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made the discovery Monday as they were examining cargo during an inspection.
The officers found five suspicious duffel bags hidden behind metal tubing. The bags had 225 packages containing a white powdery substance that field tested positive for cocaine, officials said.
"This one of most significant seizures in the last few years and the latest result of CBP’s multi-layered, risk-based approach to enhance the security of our borders," Miami Seaport Port Director Jorge Roig said in a statement. "CBP plays a critical role in efforts to keep dangerous drugs from reaching local communities across South Florida."
The cocaine was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.
Officials said CBP officers have seized multiple vessels and thousands of pounds of cocaine over the last three years as part of an aggressive enforcement program designed to disrupt illicit trafficking along the Miami River.
