About $62.5 million worth of marijuana, cocaine offloaded at Port Everglades

Drugs are from 5 interdictions at sea

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Tons of cocaine and marijuana were offloaded Thursday at Port Everglades by the U.S. Coast Guard after a huge bust at sea.

Coast Guard officials said the drugs seized are worth millions of dollars.

"These are difficult and dangerous missions that they may look routine," U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-NY, said. 

The drugs were located off the coasts of Mexico, Central America and South America and represent five separate drug smuggling vessel interdictions by the U.S. Coast Guard.

"To be able to deploy the cutter, overcome all of the logistics involved and get over top of a noncompliant vessel and affect that interdiction feels great," Coast Guard Lt. Kyle Cuttie said. 

The Coast Guard Cutter Bear seized nearly 8,000 pounds of marijuana and 300 pounds of cocaine. 

Along with seizures from two other vessels, the approximate total seizure is 14,000 pounds of marijuana and 3,660 pounds of cocaine. The wholesale value of the drugs, which have now been prevented from hitting the streets in the U.S, is about $62.5 million.

"Make no doubt about it. What you see here is profit straight out of the pocket of ruthless transnational criminal organizations that will do harm and don't have any regard for our families and loved ones," Adm. Charles Ray said. 


About the Author:

Saira Anwer joined the Local 10 News team in July 2018. Saira is two-time Emmy-nominated reporter and comes to South Florida from Madison, Wisconsin, where she was working as a reporter and anchor.