More than 33,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $468 million was offloaded by the U.S. Coast Guard Tuesday in San Diego.
Officials say the drugs were seized through eight separate smuggling vessel interdictions in February and March of this year.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Munro, which offloaded the cocaine on Tuesday, seized the drugs from vessels off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America.
Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto, commander of Coast Guard District 11, said in a statement, “I am extremely proud of this crew and their dedication to disrupting organized crime in the Eastern Pacific. The effort put in while interdicting more than 33,000 lbs of cocaine in a few weeks’ time is unparalleled.”
The seizures took place on:
- Feb. 21, 3,946 lbs of cocaine seized
- Feb. 24, 3,803 lbs of cocaine seized
- Feb. 26, 3,108 lbs of cocaine seized
- March 10, 4,709 lbs of cocaine seized
- March 17, 7,852 lbs of cocaine seized
- March 18, 2,841 lbs of cocaine seized
- March 18, 2,841 lbs of cocaine seized
- March 23, 4,784 lbs of cocaine seized
“The crew put in an incredible amount of work over very long hours, and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” said Capt. Rula Deisher, Coast Guard Cutter Munro’s commanding officer. “Their dedication and grit goes to show that Munro is one of the best national security cutters in the fleet, and we are committed to keeping the country safe by stopping illegal drugs before they hit the street.”
City News Service contributed to this article.