What to Know
- A total of six Coast Guard vessels were involved in the mission, including two based out of Florida.
Over $460 million worth of cocaine seized by the United States Coast Guard was offloaded in South Florida on Tuesday morning.
Chopper footage showed the cutter Forward arriving at Port Everglades around 8 a.m., carrying just under 35,000 pounds of the drug seized during 21 different encounters off the coasts of Central and South America as well as Mexico in recent months along the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean.
In total, the drugs have an estimated street value of $466 million.
“I am extremely proud of all the women and men that contributed to the mission success, it is a direct reflection of how the U.S. Coast Guard delivers mission excellence anytime, anywhere,” said Cmdr. Michael Sharp, commanding officer of the cutter Forward.
A total of six Coast Guard vessels were involved in the mission, including two based out of Florida.
The guard's commandant, Adm. Karl Schultz, said in the last few years, crews have seized 1.3 million pounds of cocaine and detained 1,200 suspects at sea. Schultz said most of the drugs originate in Colombia and are destined for the U.S.
