Coast Guard Offloads 7 Tons Of Cocaine At Port Everglades

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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - The US Coast Guard offloaded more than seven tons of cocaine at Port Everglades.

The drugs were seized during seven interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the recovery of two floating bale fields.

The Coast Guard cutter Mohawk, which calls Key West home, was responsible for four of those seizures, netting nearly 3,400 kilos of coke.

"I couldn't be prouder of Mohawk's crew," said Cmdr. Bob Kinsey, cutter Mohawk commanding officer. "Today's offload highlights the successes of a dedicated team of multiple cutters and international and interagency partners who remain committed to disabling the illicit smuggling networks that fuel criminal organizations and threaten our economic, national and border security."

The mission is always difficult and sometimes dangerous, pictures and video showed crew members on Cutter Mowhawk intercepting a go-fast semi-submersible, self-propelled vessel.

"In this case, they were carrying cocaine, but these vessels have the technology associated that could be used in other illicit ventures like human smuggling or to support terrorism," said Commander Kinsey.

The cutter Tampa was involved in two seizures, confiscating 1,363 kilos. The crew of the cutter Alert also had two interdictions seizing 981 kilos of cocaine.

The cutter Venturous was responsible for one case, seizing an estimated 741 kilos of cocaine.

Kinsey estimates that about 17 people were taken into custody, many of the drugs seized will be destroyed, some of it will be held over as evidence for the prosecution of suspected smugglers.