US Coast Guard cutter Bertholf offloads over US$390 million in drugs in San Diego

The crew of the US Coast Guard Legend-class national security cutter Bertholf offloaded more than 11,000 kilograms of seized cocaine and marijuana in San Diego on Thursday, September 10.

The drugs, worth an estimated US$390 million, were seized in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. They represent 13 suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America between late May and late August by six coast guard cutters and two US Navy ships.

The offload from Bertholf follows the August 27, 2020, offload of more than 5,000 kilograms of seized suspected cocaine and over 7,000 kilograms of marijuana from the coast guard cutter Hamilton in Port Everglades representing 10 interdictions in the same region.

So far in fiscal year 2020, the coast guard has made more than 171 interdictions, seized more than 127,000 kilograms of cocaine and 25,000 kilograms of marijuana, and detained more than 391 suspected smugglers in drug transit zones of the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.