Coast Guard Offloads Over $275M In Seized Cocaine In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA — After nearly a dozen drug busts in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Coast Guard personnel offloaded tens of thousands of pounds of cocaine Thursday in San Diego.

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Waesche offloaded about 37,256 pounds of cocaine, which is worth an estimated $275 million, according to Coast Guard officials. Personnel aboard Cutter Waesche confiscated the drugs during 11 interceptions of vessels off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America from December through early February.

"The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions," said Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of Cutter Waesche. "Their dedication, strength of character, and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime."