MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Members of a Port Canaveral-based Coast Guard crew confiscated about $16 million worth of drugs as part of two operations off the coast of Colombia.
The Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant transferred about 2,155 pounds of marijuana and 420 kilograms of cocaine to the Miami Beach base on Friday morning.
"This much pot and coke will not be making it to the U.S.," said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Gabe Somma. "This has more value on the street. Obviously, street value has more value than wholesale."
The contraband was confiscated as part of Operation Martillo.
Fifty bales of marijuana were found on board a 40-foot vessel north of San Andres Island, Colombia, on September 29.
"They initially got away but we were able to call Costa Rican authorities and they caught up to them and stopped them," said Somma.
Fifteen bales of cocaine were recovered in a separate incident on October 2. In that case, the Coast Guard team, working with a Royal Canadian Navy ship, took four smuggling suspects into custody.
"Our surveillance saw the smugglers dumping drugs overboard. We were able to arrest the smugglers and pick up the bales," said Somma.
Somma said the Coast Guard has stopped 167,000 kilograms of cocaine and 75,000 pounds of marijuana from entering the U.S. so far this year.
"We'll stay out there and stop drugs from coming in," he added.