Coast Guard Finds 132 Pounds Of Cocaine On Boat Near Miami

MIAMI, FL —The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday that guardsmen confiscated approximately 132 pounds of cocaine on a boat five miles offshore from a popular Miami area beach. The 35-foot pleasure craft "Sea Turtle" was taken to a Coast Guard station on Miami Beach while two suspected smugglers were taken into custody by Homeland Security.

The vessel was boarded about five miles east of Haulover Inlet Thursday by a team from the Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark. The crew initially detected the vessel about 30 miles east of Haulover Inlet.

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"The Paul Clark boarding team discovered a Bahamian national, hidden under a blanket, along with approximately 132 pounds of cocaine in the vessel’s engine room," according to a Coast Guard spokesperson. "Initial background checks identified that the Bahamian individual has multiple previous narcotics smuggling convictions and an active United States arrest warrant."

The case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customer Enforcement with Homeland Security Investigations, the principle investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“This successful interdiction is the result of a diligent boarding team who safely stopped two criminals seeking to bring contraband to the streets of South Florida,” said Capt. Megan Dean, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami. “Our crews continue to maintain a constant presence and work daily with our DHS partner agencies to stop and stem this flow of illicit drugs and human smuggling that threaten our national security.”

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark smallboat crew is shown approaching the 35-foot pleasure craft. Photo courtesy Coast Guard Station Miami Beach.