By Carly Sisson
Drugs seized in Eastern Pacific interdictions are offloaded in San Diego.
The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded approximately 18 tons of cocaine at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal in San Diego on Thursday, June 15. The cocaine was seized in 18 different interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean between March 2017 and June 2017, in international waters off the coast of Central and South America by Coast Guard Cutters Waesche, Hamilton, Mohawk, Dependable, Valiant, Active, Campbell, and Confidence.
The cocaine was seized in 15 interdictions of suspected drug vessels and three cases of seized bales dumped by suspected drug smugglers.
Capt. James Passarelli, commanding officer of the Waesche, states: “Our nation faces significant threats posed by transnational organized crime networks that spread violence and instability throughout the Western Hemisphere.” According to the U.S. Coast Guard, violence and instability has increased in Latin American countries as organized crime groups work to gain power and seize control over illicit trafficking routes. Eight of the 10 countries with the highest homicide rates in the world fall within the Latin American region.
Click below to see a video of the offloading.
