Coast Guard Offloads More Than Seven Tons Of Cocaine At Miami Beach Station
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - More than 14,200 pounds of cocaine was offloaded Friday morning at the Coast Guard Sector Miami on Miami Beach.
The drugs were interdicted by several cutters in international waters off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America.
The drugs were brought to Miami Beach on the cutter Seneca which was responsible for two cases, seizing approximately 2,800 pounds of cocaine.
The Seneca's Commander John Christensen said there's an inherent danger when they go after the smugglers and their go-fast boats.
"When you do step on board that boat you aren't sure what you're going to find, do they have weapons on board," He said. "These drug traffickers are willing to go to great extents to ensure that their cargo is not discovered, to go to the point of scuttling or sinking that boat intentionally."
The crew of the Cutter Seneca spent exactly 86 days at sea, a long time to be away from family, but offloading in Miami Beach meant a homecoming for the ship's electrical coordinator Michael Diaz.
"Tough work, long days but it's very rewarding," he said.
The cutter Tahoma was responsible for three interdictions, seizing approximately 2,500 pounds of cocaine, while the cutter Midgett was responsible for two cases, seizing approximately 5,700 pounds of cocaine.
The cutter Valiant was responsible for one case, seizing approximately 1,000 pounds of cocaine.
