The US Coast Guard has unloaded a massive amount of cocaine in South Florida. In total, they dropped off a whopping 18.5 tons of cocaine worth approximately $500 million at Port Everglades.
At $500 million, that means each kilo, or roughly two pounds, is worth about $29,000. Just back in March, the Coast Guard offloaded 16 tons of cocaine that was said to be worth about $1 billion on the streets, or $70,000 per kilo. At that price, the latest drop off on Thursday would be worth $1.2 billion.
According to KSL.com, the drugs were seized in 20 separate incidents in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Central and South America. The shipments were said to be heading to Mexico.
According to a Coast Guard press release, they intercepted the cocaine using seven cutters as well as a Royal Canadian vessel. The Hamilton lead the operation, bringing in the most seizures at 5,359 kilos in six separate incidents. Altogether, each of the other six cutters brought in over 1,000 kilos.
Capt. Scott Clendenin, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton, further outlined the vast amount of cooperation it took to seize the drugs. According to the press release, he said, “The 18.5 tons of seized cocaine coming off our decks today is the product of partnerships and the collaboration of US Southern Command, Joint Interagency Task Force-South, the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, State, and Justice, the Canadian Navy, and many of our international maritime service partners.”
According to AP, “numerous suspected smugglers” are now being prosecuted by US attorneys in “California, along the East Coast and elsewhere.”
Source: ksl.com
