MIAMI – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell successfully offloaded more than 2,450 pounds of cocaine, valued at around $32.2 million, in Miami on Tuesday, following two separate interdiction operations in the Caribbean Sea.
The Coast Guard, operating in international waters, executed these successful drug seizures with the help of various ships, including USCG Cutters Richard Dixon and Dauntless, and the coordination of the Joint Interagency Task Force South.
Lt. Cmdr. Colin Weaver, the commanding officer, lauded the collaborative effort. “The remarkable work by the Coast Guard crews and our agency partners has led to the apprehension of suspected smugglers and the confiscation of a substantial amount of illegal drugs,” he stated. “These operations underscore our ongoing commitment to homeland and maritime security, saving lives, and disrupting the activities of transnational criminal organizations in the Caribbean.”
In addition to seizing the narcotics, the operations led to the capture of six suspected smugglers. They are now set to face federal prosecution by the Department of Justice.