Coast Guard Offloads Over $20 Million Worth Of Cocaine And Marijuana In Miami

The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Northland on Wednesday offloaded more than $20 million worth of cocaine and marijuana seized in four interdictions in the Caribbean Sea.

The Cutter Northland crew offloaded roughly 2,220 pounds of cocaine and 3,320 pounds of marijuana at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach. In total, the seized drugs are worth an estimated $20.1 million.

The drugs were seized across four separate interdictions by the crews of Royal Canadian Navy ship HMCS William Hall and Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS Friesland with embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachments. Also involved in interdiction operations were the U.S. Navy ship USS Cole, two Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement teams, and Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron Jacksonville.

In the Caribbean, the Key West-based Joint Interagency Task Force-South monitors and detects aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. When they spot a suspect vessel, control of the interdiction operation shifts to the Miami-based Seventh Coast Guard District.

“Stopping harmful and illicit narcotics from reaching our shores and entering our communities is a team effort,” said Cmdr. Brian Gismervik, Coast Guard Cutter Northland’s commanding officer. “In the dynamic maritime environment, it takes the combined efforts of our joint force DoD, DHS, and international partners to combat transnational criminal organizations.”