Watch: Seized Drugs Offloaded at Port Everglades

Published Jun 7, 2019 8:20 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton (WMSL-753) crew offloads approximately 26,000 pounds of seized cocaine and 1,500 pounds of seized marijuana on June 6 in Port Everglades, Florida.

The drugs were interdicted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America and include contraband seized and recovered in over a dozen interdictions. The cocaine is worth around $348 million and the marijuana about $1.6 million.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy ships involved were:

• The cutter Hamilton was responsible for four cases, seizing approximately 1,400 pounds of marijuana and some 9,000 pounds of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Resolute (WMEC-620) was responsible for four interdictions seizing approximately 7,550 pounds of cocaine.
• Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Whitehorse with a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment aboard interdicted two suspected smuggling boats seizing more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine.
• HMCS Yellowknife, also with a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment aboard, was responsible for one interdiction seizing more than 50 pounds of marijuana.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC-913) was responsible for five cases, seizing nearly 8,600 pounds of cocaine.

The Hamilton’s crew, along with those of the other ships, conducted operations targeting transnational criminal organizations in conjunction with Joint Interagency Task Force-South, Department of Defense, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Justice, and a number of other Coast Guard aircraft, the Ecuadorian Coast Guard, and the Costa Rican Coast Guard.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan, Rear Adm. Peter Brown and The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton (WMSL-753) crew stand on the flight deck amongst 26,000 pounds of interdicted cocaine and 1,500 pounds of interdicted marijuana at Port Everglades, Florida, June 6, 2019.