Coast Guard seizes more than 16 tons of cocaine

MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded about 16 tons of cocaine Tuesday in Port Everglades that were seized in international waters.

The guard made more than a dozen drug busts during a 60-day mission, according to WSVN-TV.

Officials confirmed to WSVN-TV that the wholesale value of the cocaine is an estimated value of $420 million and a street value of over $1 billion.

The cocaine was seized from 17 ships operating in international waters along the coasts of Central and South America, WSVN-TV reports.

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"I am extremely proud of the crew of Coast Guard Cutter James and our embarked HITRON aviation detachment for a highly successful inaugural patrol," said Vice Adm. Karl Schultz, commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area. "Our persistent maritime presence in drug trafficking zones from cutters like James, enables us to interdict bulk quantities of drugs at sea, preventing criminal networks' illicit cargoes from reaching the shores of Central America, and land routes into the United States."

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