British Royal Navy seizes cocaine contraband worth $34.8M in Caribbean Sea

The United States Coast Guard’s crew of Cutter Joseph Napier transferred 182 kilograms of cocaine recovered in the Caribbean Sea. The contraband was seized by the British Royal Navy HMS Trent on Friday.

As per reports, cocaine is estimated to have a street value of $34.8 Million on the international illegal market. The crew of Trent arrested two persons in connection to smuggling cocaine. The suspects are recognised as the nations of the Dominican Republic.

The incident occurred in the Caribbean Sea, southwest coast of Cabo Rojo in Puerto Rico on March 3, following the prohibition of a go-fast vessel in the sea.

The reports further claimed that the US Coast Guard’s crew transferred the arrested smugglers to US federal law enforcement authorities in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

Coast Guard officials said the sanctions result from inter-departmental efforts supporting Operation Unified Resolve and the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy. The commander- Gerard Wenk, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response, lauded the collaborative efforts of both agencies for the safeguards of the Caribbean region.

“We appreciate the work and cooperation of our British Royal Navy partners in interdicting drug smuggling vessels on the high seas.  The work we do every day, with our federal and local and regional partners, helps protect and stabilize the Caribbean region”, Commander Wenk added.

DEA’s Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge, Denise Foster, expressed his concern for the safety and health of the citizens as drug smuggling organisations and drug trafficking constitute a huge threat to the lives of people.

“The dedication of all maritime surveillance assets is critical to mission success.  We will continue to work with our counterparts and allocate all of our law enforcement resources to have a greater impact in vulnerable areas where criminal organizations dedicated to drug trafficking are causing greater harm.”, Foster commented.

Furthermore, the U.S. Coast Guard stated its efforts under Operation Unified Resolve, which contributed to the collaborative results achieved daily under Operation Caribbean Guard. It is a collaboration between the US Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Commonwealth and territorial law enforcement partners.