$160 million in seized drugs offloaded in Miami Beach

Miami Beach, Florida – About 8,500 pounds of cocaine were offloaded by the U.S. Coast Guard Friday in Miami Beach after it was seized during various interdictions at sea.

According to Coast Guard officials, they also apprehended 13 suspected drug smugglers from the Dominican Republic and Colombia following a 45-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea.

The drugs are worth more than $160 million and were offloaded at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach before the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless’ crew returned to their homeport in Pensacola.

“The Coast Guard’s strong international partnerships, counter threats in the maritime domain, protect each of our countries from transnational organized crime, and work to stabilize and promote good governance in the region,” Lt. Paul Puddington, a District Seven duty enforcement officer said.

In a news release, the Coast Guard stated that “the fight against drug cartels in the Caribbean Sea requires unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring, and interdictions, to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in districts across the nation.”