Historic International Seizure Nets $37M in Cocaine

The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded 2,500 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $37 million wholesale value, seized in a historic multi-national counterdrug operation south of the Dominican Republic.

This drug interdiction marks the first time an armed U.S. Coast Guard helicopter embarked on a foreign flagged military vessel in support of counterdrug operations.

On Jan. 22, a U.S. Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft detected a 25-foot go-fast boat with four individuals and suspicious packages aboard moving at a high rate of speed.  The U.S. Coast Guard launched its helicopter from the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Wave Knight to intercept the suspected drug smugglers.

The Coast Guard helicopter arrived on scene and fired warning shots in an attempt to get the vessel to stop. The suspected smugglers were observed jettisoning multiple packages overboard during the pursuit. The helicopter employed airborne use-of-force and disabled the vessel.

The RFA Wave Knight, with a U.S Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Team aboard, arrived on scene and detained the four suspected smugglers and recovered 45 bales of cocaine from the water. 

"This historic operation is a result of a dedication to improved interoperability and highlights the great success and commitment of our interagency partnerships to stop the illegal flow of narcotics into the United States,” said Rear Admiral Jake Korn, commander of the Coast Guard Seventh District.

The four suspected smugglers will be transferred to law enforcement authorities in the U.S. The seized contraband was transferred from the Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak to U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Tuesday at 10 a.m., at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Fla.

This operation is a result of a combined effort between the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S), the U.S. Coast Guard, and our international partners to combat illicit drugs being trafficked into the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.