SAN DIEGO — U.S. officials made several large drug busts in the Pacific Ocean within the last two months.
On Wednesday, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche offloaded approximately 18,219 pounds of cocaine, which was seized from the “drug transit zones” of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The cocaine seized is estimated to be worth more than $239 million.
Thirteen people were arrested and are in U.S. custody and charges are pending, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Tara McGrath said.
Officials offloaded the thousands of pounds of drugs Wednesday afternoon and transported it to a lab to be analyzed, then it will be stored as evidence through the criminal proceedings and eventually destroyed.
The seizures took place between October and November from six different vessels, including a self propelled semi-submersible. Part of that seizure was caught on camera.
“Many of these drugs came from high speed smuggling vessels, however, Waesche was successful in interdicting a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel with over 5,500 pounds of cocaine on board,” U.S. Coast Guard Captain Robert Moher said. “Semi-submersible vessels are extremely hard to detect due to the nature of their design, which is why its been over 4 years since the last time one was interdicted by the Coast Guard in the Eastern Pacific.”
“The maritime counter drug mission saves lives and it fosters stability in Central and South America,” USCG Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson, Commander, Pacific Area said. “The illicit network of transnational criminal organizations that traffic cocaine from South America to the United States triggers violence, corruption, extortion and instability.”
Officials from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of California were at Wednesday’s offloading.
“The Waesche is 418 feet long with a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 12,000 nautical miles,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard. “It is equipped with a flight deck and hangars capable of housing two multi-mission helicopters, and outfitted with the most advanced command, control, and communications equipment.”
In March 2023, the same crew offloaded more than 13,220 pounds of marijuana and 6,325 pounds of cocaine, which were worth more than $166 million. The officials intercepted the drugs in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in February and March, off the coasts of Central and South America.