SAN JUAN — Authorities seized $6 million worth of cocaine and arrested three people on a “go-fast” smuggling boat while on a routine patrol in the Caribbean Sea.
Officials said the suspicious boat was spotted Monday by a Navy helicopter crew from the USS Kidd working with the Coast Guard and law enforcement.
The helicopter crew called the USS Kidd to interdict the vessel. While trying to evade capture, the smugglers threw eight bales overboard. Eventually the suspects were apprehended. The bales were recovered and the contents tested positive for cocaine.
Two of the suspected smugglers are from the Dominican Republic and the other is from Colombia, officials said. They were taken to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were taken into custody by U.S. Customs officials.
“The strong relationship and collaboration between the Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy continuously yields positive outcomes as evidenced by this case,” Rear Adm. Eric Jones, commander of Coast Guard Seventh District, said in a release. “The shared unwavering resolve and daily interaction between our Department of Defense and local and federal law enforcement partners in the region help safeguard and strengthen the Caribbean region against this threat.”