US Coast Guard makes $300 million cocaine bust in the Caribbean making it 'one of the largest hauls in recent memory'
- Operation Martillo, an international effort recovered the narcotics in two separate busts in March
- The haul was paraded to the media in Miami on Tuesday to highlight the Coast Guard's success
By James Nye, Published: 13:28 GMT, 16 April 2014, Updated: 17:23 GMT, 16 April 2014, Source
Cocaine with a street value of $300 million has been recovered by US and Canadian coast guards in two separate drug seizures in the Caribbean Sea.
More than 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilos) of the highly addictive drug in 127 bales were paraded for the media on Tuesday in Miami by the US Coast Guard.
The narcotics would have an estimated wholesale value of $110 million, but that would be expected to rise three times when the drugs are distributed through dealers in the United States.
'We can safely assume that these drugs probably would have ended up here,' said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Junior Grade Meaghan Gies to The Miami Herald.
The first seizure was managed by Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Glace Bay on March 15 when they boarded a suspect fishing boat on fire containing three Colombians, two Venezuelans and one Panamanian, the Coast Guard said.
When the coast guard turned to drop the men off in Jamaica they found 97 bales dumped and floating in the water nearby.
'We were able to recover the drugs but cannot prosecute the case,' said Marilyn Fajardo, the deputy public affairs officer for the US Coast Guard.
Recovery: The drugs have a street value of $300 million and are represent one of the largest hauls in recent memory for the US Coast Guard
The second bust took place in the waters between Colombia and Honduras on March 19.
The US Coast Guard fired warning shots at a boat when they spotted members of its crew throwing bales of cocaine into the water.
They managed to recover most of it, arrested five Colombian nationals and transported them back to Colombia for prosecution.
'It is one of the larger hauls the Coast Guard has brought in, in recent memory,' said Lt. J.G. Meaghan Gies at a press conference in Miami Beach.
Impressive: Wearing protective gloves and masks, members of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Legare carried 127 bales of cocaine with a street value of about $350 million off the ship in March
'The main goal of the Coast Guard is to stop this bulk contraband, this cocaine, from contributing to the crime and violence of South Florida.'
The drug busts were part of Operation Martillo, an international effort launched in January 2012 to keep drugs from landing on American and international soil.
'This seizure is just another successful example of our cooperation with our partners to maintain a forward presence in the Caribbean Sea,' said Marilyn Fajardo
'About 80 percent of the cocaine comes in through water,' Gies said.
'The idea is to stop it before it is broken up into smaller parts and distributed.'
Grab: The drugs were recovered and the five Colombians found aboard were turned over to Colombian authorities for prosecution, the Coast Guard said
In January $37 million worth of cocaine was brought into Miami Beach after a joint British and American operation in the Caribbean.
And according to Fajardo, 14,000 kilos of cocaine has been seized since October 1, 2013.
'We hope with these drug offloads that we are sending a clear message that the Coast Guard means business,' Fajardo said.
'Our crews are out there every day risking their lives to protect our U.S. borders.'