US Coast Guard assists in cocaine seizure at airport in Bahamas estimated to be worth $7.5M

MAYAGUANA, Bahamas — The United States Coast Guard said that they assisted law enforcement in the Bahamas with seizing an aircraft that had hundreds of pounds of cocaine on it earlier this week.

>> Read more trending news

U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen aircrews helped the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in recovering about 862 pounds of cocaine on Tuesday at the Mayaguana Airport located in the Bahamas, the Coast Guard said. The estimated value of the cocaine is about $7.5 million.

The cocaine was seized from a suspected smuggling aircraft that went through the airport, according to WPEC.

A suspect was also taken into custody, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said, according to the news outlet.

The drug bust came after a 2024 Northern Caribbean Security Summit that was held in the Bahamas, the Coast Guard said. It included law enforcement from the United States, The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United Kingdom where they discussed “ways to modernize, integrate, and position joint security relationships to confront the complex threats of the 21st century.”

The aim of the conference was to “dismantle criminal organizations, counter threats posed by malicious actors, uphold strong judiciaries, and disrupt the trafficking of drugs, firearms, wildlife, and people,” according to WPEC.

© 2024 Cox Media Group