More details on the 9200 pound cocaine bust off Puerto Rico that we reported yesterday.
An informant tipped of the government that a freighter was travelling from Venuzuela to Europe with a large shipment of drugs. The Netherlands Navy’s HNLMS Van Speijk monitored the Panamanian flagged freighter for two days near Puerto Rico.
“At first daylight, the Van Speijk and her helicopter approached the target ship at high speed and positioned alongside the merchant ship,” a press statement from the Coast Guard said. “A US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Team LEDET especially embarked onboard the Dutch West Indies guard ship to conduct counter-drug operations was transferred to the Panamanian freighter.”
The LEDET spent a day and half going over the ship before they found a suspicious hatch in the engine room revealing an entrance to an area hold the 25kg bales of cocaine were stored.
Naval officers confiscated the drugs and arrested the 12 crewmen aboard the freighter.
Editors Note: BZ to the LEDET for hanging in there for a day and half in order to find the drugs.
I AM LOOKING FOR THE WEBSITE OR CONTACT INFO FOR THE COAST GUARD STATION IN ST. MAARTEN. AM LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR SEAMAN AND I DONT KNOW WHERE TO START. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP ITS URGENT. THANK YOU JOE
Since St. Maarten is a Dutch colony, I would suggest starting with the Governors Office. http://www.governorsxm.com
Do you have the name of the Panamanian vessel please? Thanks,
I don’t have that information.