1,700 pounds of marijuana seized in Bahamas

2 taken into custody after marijuana with estimated wholesale value of $1.5 million seized

MIAMI – U.S. Coast Guard officials say 1,700 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated wholesale value of $1.5 million, was seized Thursday in the area of North Nurse Cay, Bahamas.

The Coast Guard said this interdiction is a direct result of a coordinated response with Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos task force.

"This seizure represents the second major drug interdiction by OPBAT in 3 weeks," said Cmdr. Mark Driver, OPBAT director. "I am proud of the professionalism and dedication displayed by every member of the OPBAT Team."

A Customs and Border Protection maritime patrol aircraft detected a 40-foot go-fast vessel on Wednesday in the Caribbean Sea.

Drug Enforcement Agency and Royal Bahamas Police Force surface assets responded to the location of the go-fast to investigate the suspicious vessel.

After arriving on scene and interviewing two men aboard the go-fast vessel, the Coast Guard said a DEA helicopter found 40 packages hidden in the mangroves, which later tested positive for marijuana.

Authorities said the two suspected smugglers were taken into custody and were taken to local law enforcement authorities in Nassau.