U.S. Customs Collects 2 Tons of Jettisoned Cocaine
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection P-3 jet detected two go-fast vessels carrying more than 4,840 pounds of cocaine with a combined value of more than $362 million, the agency said this week.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine P-3 jet (Credit: U.S. Customs)
On April 20, a Customs P-3 jet operating in the Western Caribbean spotted two go-fast vessels 120 miles off the coast of Panama. The two 40-foot twin-engine vessels were spotted speeding north and appeared to be loaded with numerous packages when the Florida-based P-3 began tracking them, the agency said in a statement.
Local law enforcement assets pursued the two boats, which attempted to evade authorities. One vessel dumped the cocaine at sea before arriving on shore, while the second go-fast was seized nearby. A U.S. Navy vessel operating in the area retrieved 89 bales of cocaine from the scene.