US Coast Guard seizes $186M worth of cocaine

The United States Coast Guard offloaded thousands of pounds of cocaine worth more than $186 million in Miami Friday, authorities said.

Over 14,000 pounds of illicit narcotics had been intercepted by guardsmen in nine separate operations, according to the Coast Guard.

The missions took place in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to confiscating the drugs, authorities arrested 12 suspected drug smugglers on various charges. They will face prosecution in US federal courts.

“The contraband offloaded today represents the professional expertise and dedication of US defense and law enforcement agencies working together to combat the flow of illicit drugs through the Caribbean Region into the United States,” said Coast Guard Lt. Peter Hutchison.

“This teamwork is imperative to the identification, interception, and seizure of vessels engaged in illicit trafficking and a testament to the hard work of these crews.”