US Coast Guard, international partners seize over 700 kilograms of cocaine off Central America

The US Coast Guard and Costa Rican authorities seized approximately 770 kilograms of cocaine on a fishing boat in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America on Thursday, April 9.

While on patrol, the coast guard cutter Mohawk‘s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew identified a fishing boat suspected of smuggling narcotics and requested the assistance of a Costa Rican Air Surveillance Service (Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea) maritime patrol aircraft.

Mohawk‘s small boat arrived on scene with the fishing vessel, Amanda M, homeported in Costa Rica, with four suspected smugglers and received authorisation to board the vessel.

Coast guard personnel discovered several false compartments throughout the fishing boat, where they were able to uncover the cocaine by Thursday morning. The seized narcotics have an estimated value of more than US$29 million.

The coast guard transferred the four suspected smugglers to Costa Rican authorities for further legal actions.