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Coast Guard Seizes $34 Million Worth Of Cocaine

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The U.S. Coast Guard seized nearly $34 million dollars worth of cocaine off the coast of St. Croix on Friday.

The crew spotted a suspicious 30-foot go fast vessel  with three suspected smugglers on board late Thursday night, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

By Friday, the crew boarded the boat and found about 25 bales of cocaine weighing more than 2,000 pounds.

Authorities say the three men on board were detained.

The bust was part of "Operation Caribbean Guard" meant to deter, detect and disrupt the trafficking of illicit drugs to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Since September 2012, the U.S. Coast Guard says the operation has seized more than $829 million worth of Cocaine.

The  Caribbean Corridor Strike Force is leading a criminal investigation into the drug bust.

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