Florida

5K Pounds of Marijuana Seized by U.S. Coast Guard

A Coast Guard helicopter crew, working under the direction of Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, assisted in the seizure of 5,050 pounds of marijuana Wednesday.

It was worth an estimated wholesale value of $4.6 million.

While on routine patrol, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft located a 35-foot vessel transiting at a high-rate-of-speed without navigation lights.

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida, MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a Royal Bahamas Police Force boatcrew with Drug Enforcement Administration agents aboard launched to pursue the vessel.

Just before 1 a.m., the boatcrew and agents intercepted the vessel, took six suspected smugglers into custody and seized the contraband.

The suspects, vessel and narcotics were taken to Nassau, Bahamas for processing.

Names of the suspects have not been released.

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