The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) offloaded an enormous amount of seized drugs worth more than $1 billion at a port in Florida on Thursday.
Offloaded in Fort Lauderdale by the Coast Guard's Cutter James crew at the Port Everglades port authority, the cocaine and marijuana, weighing around 54,500 and 16,000 pounds respectively, were confiscated.
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The seizure of the drugs came during multiple interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, according to the USCG.
"We have collectively struck a significant blow to transnational criminal networks by removing 30 metric tons of drugs," said Capt. Todd Vance, commanding officer of the USCGC James, according to WPLG.
Describing the process of the offload, Coast Guard Operations Specialist Chelsea Pereira said it is "a very fast-paced environment and once we get on a case and we have a go-fast that we’re going after, it’s very fast – everything happens pretty quickly."
"It’s a great feeling knowing that we’re making a difference," she added.
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According to the Coast Guard, as reported by Newsweek, this particular offload was a joint effort between the United States and Panama.
Last August, the Coast Guard offloaded more than $1.4 billion worth of cocaine and marijuana were at the same port in South Florida – marking the largest offload in Coast Guard history.