U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Returns To San Pedro With $38.5 Million In Seized Cocaine
LAPPL News Watch
August 30, 2019
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Robert Ward returned Thursday morning to San Pedro after a 50-day mission with 2,800 pounds of cocaine – valued at $38.5 million – that was seized in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The mission was the first for the 154-foot-long Robert Ward, which was commissioned about six months ago, Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Kroll said. During the mission, the cutter’s crew seized or disrupted an estimated 6,558 pounds of cocaine in all.
Disrupted cocaine is, for example, when smugglers dump it into the ocean and the Coast Guard can’t retrieve it before the drug sinks.
Of that, 3,000 pounds seized on the cutter’s first-ever drug bust, on July 16, was placed onto another cutter, Steadfast, and brought ashore in San Diego. Three suspects were detained.
On Aug. 22, the crew found 1,500 pounds of cocaine drifting in the ocean, which had been abandoned by smugglers when they realized they were being tracked. The remaining 2,000 or so pounds were also abandoned by smugglers, but Coast Guard officials were unable to retrieve those bales in time before they sank in the Pacific.
2 comments:
Too bad the crew doesn't get a percentage as a reward.
The Coasties are really getting it done.
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