US Coast Guard offloads more than $14 million in drugs interdicted in Caribbean Sea

The United States Coast Guard says its crew aboard Cutter Venturous offloaded approximately 5,300 pounds of cocaine and marijuana in Miami Beach on Friday, following a series of drug interdictions in the Caribbean Sea with an estimated street value of US $14.1 million.

According to the Coast Guard, the contraband was seized during four separate operations carried out in the Caribbean by the crews of USCGC Diligence and Dutch naval vessel HNLMS Groningen, which had a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment aboard.

“Stopping harmful and illicit narcotics from reaching our shores and entering our communities is a team effort,” said Cmdr. Karen Kutkiewicz, commanding officer of Cutter Venturous. “It takes the combined efforts of our joint force — DoD, DHS, and international partners — to combat transnational criminal organizations.”

The interdictions were a coordinated effort involving the USCGC Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific, the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S), and watchstanders from the Seventh Coast Guard District, which is headquartered in Miami.

Detecting and intercepting drug traffickers in the Caribbean requires tight interagency and international collaboration. Surveillance is typically handled by JIATF-S based in Key West. When a suspected drug-smuggling vessel is detected, control of the operation shifts to the Coast Guard for interdiction and apprehension.

The USCGC says these efforts are part of ongoing regional operations to prevent the flow of illicit narcotics into the United States and neighboring countries.