The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump offloaded 1,100 pounds of marijuana, Wednesday, at Sector San Juan. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ricardo Castrodad).
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump (WPC-1111) offloaded approximately 1,100 pounds of marijuana, Wednesday, at Coast Guard Sector San Juan.
The seized drug shipment is estimated to have a wholesale value of more than $1.3 million.
The interdiction was a result of an international, multi-agency law enforcement collaboration in support of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), Operation Unified Resolve, Operation Caribbean Guard and Campaign Martillo, and member of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area sponsored Caribbean Corridor Strike Force.
“Through this time of uncertainty, Coast Guard cutter crews remain vigilant and on watch to safe guard the American people from all maritime threats,” said Lt. Johnston Ariail, the commanding officer of the William Trump. “This includes preventing drug smugglers from attempting to infiltrate our borders by capitalizing on the current pandemic.”
The seizure occurred during a patrol, when William Trump crew sighted a suspect go-fast vessel with two people aboard. As the cutter’s small boat crew approached the suspect vessel, they observed multiple bales of suspected contraband being jettisoned from the go-fast.
The crew of the William Trump recovered 37 bales and 12 individual packages, which tested positive for marijuana. The cutter’s crew offloaded the contraband in coordination with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-HSI, DEA and CCSF special agents in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The cutter William Trump is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Key West, Florida.
