The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded more $85 million worth of cocaine at Broward County’s Port Everglades on Monday after seizing the drugs in international waters.
In total, the Coast Guard seized about 3.1 tons of cocaine when it stopped and detained the suspects at an unspecified location in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Jonathan Lally, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, said that the cocaine was offloaded at Port Everglades due to an internal discussion and coordination between the Coast Guard and federal law enforcement agencies.
The names of the suspects have not yet been released.
“Stopping the illicit flow of drugs to our shores not only keeps them off our street but also keeps money from getting to these criminal organizations,” said Coast Guard Commander Michael Turdo, commanding officer of the cutter, Escanaba, which carried the drugs to Port Everglades.
The Coast Guard said the U.S. and Allied presence has increased in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known as drug transit zones.
Just a few months ago, in May, the Coast Guard offloaded more than 18 tons of cocaine worth nearly $500 million at Port Everglades.
