U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser offloaded 489 pounds of cocaine at Coast Guard Base San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Monday and transferred custody of three suspects to Homeland Security Task Force San Juan law enforcement authorities. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $5.5 million.
On Oct. 10, the crew of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft detected a suspect go-fast vessel transiting in Atlantic Ocean waters north of Isabela, Puerto Rico, during a routine law enforcement patrol. Sector San Juan Coast Guard watchstanders diverted the Winslow Griesser to interdict the suspect vessel. The cutter’s crew stopped the vessel, seized the cocaine and took into custody the three men who were aboard.
“We are proud of our Coast Guard watchstanders, our aircrew and the cutter Winslow Griesser crew for achieving a successful interdiction,” Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Sector San Juan chief response, said. “This interdiction demonstrates the proficiency of our operational crews and valued partners who work tirelessly to intercept deadly narcotics before they reach our shores, protect our citizens, and dismantle the criminal networks that threaten our region.”
Two of the men in custody are Dominican Republic nationals and one is a Chinese national.