Coast Guard Seizes Cocaine In Caribbean

The Coast Guard seized a large amount of cocaine in the Caribbean in its latest bust. As reported in the St. Augustine Record, the agency announced yesterday that it had confiscated over 1400 pounds of the drug from a boat spotted by a Customs and Border Protection aircraft. The aircraft alerted the USCG cutter Mohawk, which began a pursuit assisted by the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron out of Jacksonville, Florida. After a chase, the four smugglers on board were arrested, and the 18 bales of contraband they’d tossed overboard were retrieved and later tested positive for cocaine.

The street value of the Coast Guard seized cocaine is an estimated $17 million, and authorities say it was all destined for sale in the United States. The bust was part of Operation Martillo, described as an international operation involving the air, land, and sea agencies of the United States and European partner agencies, who are working together to prevent the use of Central American shores as a transit source for money laundering and drug and gun trafficking.

According to StabroekNews.com:

“The crew of the Mohawk and their embarked HITRON helicopter crew flawlessly executed another successful at-sea interdiction. As part of Operation Martillo, they successfully denied drug smugglers from bringing illegal narcotics into the Central American transhipment route and ultimately prevented these drugs from crossing national borders.”

Do you think the United States is doing enough to prevent drugs and guns from entering the US? If not, what do you think they could be doing better?