VALLEJO, Calif.- A crew from Coast Guard Station Vallejo seized nearly 6 pounds of marijuana and over 9 ounces of hashish from a sailing vessel near the Carquinez Bridge, in Vallejo, Calif., Thursday.
At approximately 7:30 P.M., Coast Guard Station Vallejo received notification from a large tanker vessel of a sailing vessel operating erratically within the shipping channel in the vicinity of the Carquinez Bridge. Within minutes, Coast Guard Station Vallejo diverted one of its 25-foot response boats to investigate.
The response boat crew located a 35-foot sailing vessel driving in tight circles at the entrance of Mare Island Straights. The operator of the sailing vessel, a 53-year-old male, was ordered to steady his boat and prepare for a Coast Guard boarding.
As the Coast Guard boarded the vessel, the operator indicated that he had approximately 6 pounds of marijuana onboard. A brief search of the vessel revealed several large one gallon zip-lock bags of a green leafy substance that tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
The operator of the vessel was taken into custody for possession of narcotics and was turned over to the Vallejo Police. The boat, under the control of Coast Guard personnel, was safely moored in Vallejo. The disposition of the case and the operator is still pending at this time.
