Cocaine worth $468M seized by Coast Guard in massive drug bust
Crew members from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) offloads 33,768 pounds of cocaine, in San Diego, May 28, 2024. (Credit: Petty Officer 3rd Class Hunter Schnabel/ U.S. Coast Guard District 11)
SAN DIEGO - The U.S. Coast Guard announced it has unloaded approximately 33,768 pounds of cocaine in San Diego, with an estimated value of $468 million,
Military brass said the offload was the result of interdicting eight separate suspected drug smuggling vessels off the coast of Mexico and Central and South America by the Coast Guard Cutter Munro in February and March.
"The crew put in an incredible amount of work over very long hours, and I couldn’t be prouder of them," Capt. Rula Deisher, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Munro, said in a news release. "Their dedication and grit goes to show that Munro is one of the best national security cutters in the fleet, and we are committed to keeping the country safe by stopping illegal drugs before they hit the street."
"I am extremely proud of this crew and their dedication to disrupting organized crime in the Eastern Pacific," Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto, commander, Coast Guard District 11, said. "The effort put in while interdicting more than 33,000 lbs of cocaine in a few weeks’ time is unparalleled. We will continue our commitment to stopping these criminals and the vast amounts of drugs they attempt to bring into our country."
This story was reported from Los Angeles.