MIAMI – Coast Guard law enforcement boarding teams aboard the cutter Bear working under the tactical control of the Seventh Coast Guard District and the Joint Interagency Task Force South located 2,470 pounds of cocaine onboard a Venezuelan-flagged fishing vessel Wednesday.
While conducting an at-sea boarding more than 500-miles east of Brazil, crews located five suspected drug smugglers and 2,470 pounds of cocaine onboard the vessel. The five suspects and cocaine are expected to be transferred to Venezuelan authorities for further investigation.
“The Coast Guard has agreements in place with numerous Caribbean and South American countries to help stem the flow of narcotics into the U.S.,” said Rear Adm. Steve Branham, Seventh Coast Guard District commander. “These agreements allow the Coast Guard and our interagency partners to position our resources in areas where they have the best opportunity for success.”
The cutter Bear is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Va.
