A U.S. Coast Guard ship seized more than 20,000 pounds of cocaine from one vessel this week, making the largest interception at sea in nearly 20 years, officials said.
The Coast Guard said the crew of the Munroe, boat patrolling the Pacific Ocean Based in Alameda, California, and made seizures during “counter-drug operations” in the Eastern Pacific. The incident was part of Operation Pacific Viper, the Trump administration's attempt to stem the flow of illegal drugs across the Pacific Ocean.
The video shows coast guard vehicles pursuing the fast boat, which appears to be carrying several people. A helicopter crew disabled non-compliant vessel, the agency said. Then Munro arrived at the scene to confiscate drugs.
The Coast Guard has not said what happened to the people on board the vessel.
“Our Navy leads America's drug interdiction operations, defends the homeland, and keeps deadly drugs out of American communities,” the Coast Guard said in a release. post on social networksnext to the video clip.
Authorities have long struggled to intercept ships carrying drugs from Central and South America. The Trump administration carried out fatal strikes on some of the vessels, killing dozens of people and causing controversy. Some have questioned their legalityespecially after a second strike was carried out about survivors of the September 2 incident. The Trump administration defends the strikes.
Earlier this week, Colombian authorities seized more than 7 tons of cocaine from boats in the Caribbean, the country's navy said. social media. The drugs were valued at more than $340 million and 11 people were taken into custody, the Navy said in a separate release. statement.
