- US Coast Guard conducts bust.
The United States Coast Guard says crew members aboard the Cutter Alligator offloaded cocaine valued at US$5.1 million in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Coast Guard said the cocaine was seized during what the coast guards are dubbing Operation Caribe Venture.
During a routine patrol, a Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine aircraft, detected a 25-foot “go-fast” vessel in the Caribbean Sea. Coast Guard officials reported that an armed Coast Guard helicopter crew aboard observed suspicious packages on board the go-fast vessel.
“After the suspected vessel failed to heave to, the armed helicopter crew employed warning shots and then disabling fire to stop the vessel,” the Coast Guard stated. The Coast Guard said three suspected smugglers aboard the go-fast vessel were detained and later turned over to the relevant law enforcement officials.
Extracted and modified from Caribbean 360
