Multi-million dollar cocaine bust in Caribbean Sea

PENSACOLA, CMC – The United States Coast Guard says the crew of its Cutter Diligence returned to homeport in Pensacola, Florida on Thursday after a 52-day counterdrug patrol in the Caribbean Sea in which crew members seized millions of dollars in cocaine and apprehended six suspected drug smugglers. 

During the patrol, the US Coast Guard said Diligence’s crew worked in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South) within the Coast Guard Seventh District’s area of responsibility to interdict and deter the smuggling of illicit narcotics. 

The US Coast Guard said Diligence’s crew disrupted about 700 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of over US$20.3 million dollars and apprehended six suspected smugglers.  

“Stopping the flow of drugs to the United States is a challenging mission that requires a significant amount of teamwork,” said Commander Nolan Cain, Diligence’s commanding officer. “The Diligence crew had the opportunity to work alongside our Department of Defense and international partners in this unified effort. The dedication and hard work of the Diligence crew and our partners is incredibly inspiring.”  

In a statement on Friday, the  US Coast Guard said detecting and interdicting illegal drug traffickers on the high seas involves “significant interagency and international coordination.”

It said JIATF-South in Key West, Florida, conducts detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. 

“Once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the US Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension process,” the statement said. 

The US Coast Guard said interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by its members under the authority and control of the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, headquartered in Miami. 

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