Coast Guard cutter makes drug bust off Guatemala

The Associated Press
11:06 a.m. July 10, 2009

ALAMEDA, Calif. — A Coast Guard cutter based out of Alameda is being credited with making a dramatic drug bust off the coast of Guatemala.

Coast Guard officials say the cutter Bertholf seized two speedboats, recovered a bale of cocaine as evidence and detained four suspected smugglers about 80 miles from Guatemala Wednesday night.

Officials say after four boats were spotted by a patrol aircraft, a marksman aboard a Coast Guard helicopter shot out the engines of two of the boats.

Crews on interceptor boats launched from the Bertholf then boarded the two disabled speedboats and took the suspected smugglers into custody.

The incident is the first drug bust by the crew of the Bertholf since the vessel was commissioned in August of 2008.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... dex=129941