MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) – A drug smuggler has been taken into custody after a boat crew from the U.S. Coast Guard Office seized 550 pounds of cocaine near the Port Everglades.
On Saturday, law enforcement crews gained custody of Bella Vita, a 36-foot boat, and found 550 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $6.3 million, the USCG said.
“Protecting our maritime borders from illegal drug trafficking and cross-border criminal organizations remains one of our top priorities,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Sunday, Coast Guard’s Deputy Operating Officer at Miami. “The Coast Guard and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners remain vigilant about our common efforts to keep maritime boundaries safe by preventing illegal drugs from reaching our communities.”
Cocaine was found in nine suitcases on a boat.
The man was transferred on land to a Coast Guard Investigation Service Agent to face federal prosecution, USCG said.
