MIAMI - In the last six weeks, Florida-based Coast Guard units have aided in the interception of almost 13,300 pounds of cocaine worth more than $180 million and more than 4,600 of pounds of marijuana worth more than $4 million.
Most recently, crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Dolphin offloaded about 1,400 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated street value of approximately $1.2 million, at Coast Guard Base Support Unit Miami Wednesday.
While conducting a routine law enforcement patrol off the coast of Bimini, Bahamas, crewmembers aboard the Dolphin located a suspicious 35-foot vessel with two people aboard.
The Dolphin crew conducted an at-sea law-enforcement boarding and discovered nearly 1,400 pounds of marijuana. The Coast Guard transferred the marijuana and the vessel to Customs and Border Protection officers in Miami. The two suspects were transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Investigations in Miami.
"This is the second bust for the Dolphin crew in a five month period," said Peter Lang, commanding officer of the Dolphin. "I am extremely proud of the crew and the really great job they did. We're looking forward to getting back out there and continuing our counter narcotics mission."
The bust happened just one day after approximately 2,500 pounds of marijuana were offloaded in Miami from another marijuana seizure by the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous.
The cutter Venturous is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The cutter Dolphin is an 87-foot coastal patrol boat homeported in Miami.