Nearly 4000 pounds of cocaine valued approximately $51 million was seized by the United States Coast Guard just off the shores of Anegada last Friday.
This was confirmed in a news release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Puerto Rico.
According to the release, during a routine patrol the night of August 27, the Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge responded to the sighting of a suspect go-fast vessel, in waters northeast of the British Virgin Islands.
The release said that Coast Guard watch standers in Sector San Juan directed the launch of a Coast Guard MH-60T aircraft from Air Station Borinquen to vector cutter Richard Etheridge to the go-fast vessel’s position.
It further stated that the U.S Coast Guard and British Virgin Islands authorities maintained communication to interdict the suspect go-fast vessel. As the cutter Richard Etheridge closed in on the go-fast vessel, the smugglers proceeded to discard their cargo and flee the area at high speed.
57 bales tested positive for cocaine
Afterward, the Coast Guard helicopter crew proceeded to assist cutter Richard Etheridge in locating the jettisoned cargo. In total, the crew of cutter Richard Etheridge recovered 57 bales that tested positive for cocaine.
“Despite the challenging sea state conditions and thanks to the close collaboration and coordination with our Royal Virgin Islands Police partners, our crews did an outstanding job in disrupting a major shipment of cocaine and keeping it from ever reaching the streets,” said Capt. Gregory H. Magee, Sector San Juan commander.
He added, “Our strong partnerships, as in the case of the British Virgin Islands and island nations throughout our area of responsibility, are key to achieving safe and secure maritime borders from drug trafficking and other smuggling threats in the Eastern Caribbean.”
Example of excellent cooperation between international agencies
Meanwhile Detective Inspector Mike Jones, Head of Intelligence for the Royal Virgin Islands Police said, “This is a great example of the close working relationship between the U.S. and the UK overseas territories.”
“The excellent work of the U.S. Coast Guard forced the crew of the go-fast vessel to jettison their cargo. We will continue to work closely with all agencies and partners in order to disrupt and detect the movement of narcotics, illegal money and people trafficking,” he added.
Cutter Richard Etheridge is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Miami.
The seizure comes nearly one year since BVI authorities seized a little more than 5,000 pounds of cocaine in BVI waters worth $250 million.
In that seizure, a member of the Royal Virgin Islands Police force and a family member were arrested in connection with the bust that the BVI then governor Augustus Jaspert at the time said was the largest in the territory’s history.