ALAMEDA (KRON) — U.S. Coast Guard authorities have released new video showing the arrest of four suspected drug smugglers allegedly caught hauling nearly $203 million worth of cocaine, officials said.
The incident happened March 3 off the southwest coast of Panama, according to Lt. Donnie Brzuska of the Coast Guard Pacific Area Command.
A Customs and Border Protection aircraft informed the crew of the Alameda-based Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf. Two USCG interceptor boats stopped the vessel and apprehended the four men inside.
After further investigation, officers discovered the submarine was carrying over 13,000 pounds of cocaine.
“Transnational organized crime groups continue to adjust their tactics to avoid detection indicated by a recent rise in the use of SPSS vessels,” said Vice Adm. Charles Ray, commander, Pacific Area. “Despite these efforts, we will continue to execute an offensive strategy that targets, attacks and disrupts these dangerous criminal networks.”
Since June of 2015, the U.S. Coast Guard has stopped five illegal vessels designed for trafficking drugs. USCG officials say the vessels are hard to notice due to their low profile.
This is the second drug bust on the seas for the USCG since late 2015 that has led to the seizure of about 201,000 pounds.
“SPSS interdictions are inherently dangerous, yet we persevere to disrupt the funding sources of illicit organizations causing violence and instability in Central America,” said Capt. Laura Collins, commanding officer of the Cutter Bertholf. “Our boarding teams are trained to constantly assess and prioritize the safety of our personnel and the SPSS crew during the case.”
Alameda-based national security seized almost 68,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific ocean last year.