Thread: Customs and Border Protection Crew Intercepts Smuggling Boat

Customs and Border Protection Crew Intercepts Smuggling Vessel Filled With Cocaine

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,294159,00.html

Thursday, August 23, 2007

A Florida-based Customs and Border Protection aircraft recently intercepted a semi-submerged smuggling vessel filled with five metric tons of cocaine.

The Air and Marine crew tracked the self-propelled vessel carrying $352 million worth of cocaine and coordinated a plan with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard to intercept the vessel. Four suspected smugglers were taken into custody.

The Customs and Border Protection aircraft was patrolling in the eastern Pacific Ocean when the crew spotted the vessel Sunday during an ongoing western hemisphere tracking operation.

The aircraft sent instructions to a U.S. Navy ship to meet the vessel. Coast Guard members arrested the suspects and seized 11 cocaine bales.

CBP’s operation includes P-3 Orion long-range surveillance and patrol aircraft throughout the United States, Central and South America to purse threats.

I lived on a little island off the coast of Florida and it was normal to get up in the morning and see bales of marijuana floating in the bay.

Planes dropped them at night but as the island grew it became more difficult for the pickup boats as the waters were being more closely guarded by Drug Enforcement Agency and Coast Guard...