A US Coast Guard (USCG) Station Miami Beach law enforcement boat crew along with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and US Homeland Security Investigations seized approximately 3,715 pounds (1,685 kg) of cocaine, worth an estimated US$28 million, from a suspected drug-smuggling vessel two miles (3.2 kilometres) east of government cut on Tuesday, December 2.
CBP AMO law enforcement boat crews provided assistance with multiple marine units and specialised search tools upon initial interdiction by Coast Guard Station Miami Beach crew.
“This was the largest USCG Small boat station cocaine seizure since 1995,” said Lieutenant Matthew Ross, Coast Guard Station Miami Beach commanding officer.
CBP’s Office of Field Operations (OFO) Miami Seaport also responded with a K9 team once the vessel was brought pierside.
The OFO K9 alerted to multiple locations within the vessel. A physical search by AMO agents uncovered more than 1,000 concealed packages of cocaine, weighing over 3,700 pounds (1,600 kg). Federal agents took custody of three subjects and transported them.