Overview
- The Coast Guard brought ashore more than 49,000 pounds of cocaine valued at about $362 million on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale.
- Officials said the cache resulted from 15 interdictions by the cutter Stone with air support and partner agencies in the Eastern Pacific.
- Adm. Nathan Moore called it the most cocaine seized by a single cutter on one deployment and said trafficking routes and pace have not noticeably changed.
- Capt. Anne O’Connell said an armed helicopter helped stop suspect boats and that detainees were transferred to Ecuador or their origin countries for prosecution.
- The administration reports at least 21 suspected smuggling boats destroyed since September with 83 deaths, the DEA cites rising cocaine prices, and lawmakers are demanding evidence and oversight.