$56 Million In Cocaine Comes To St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Eight accused smugglers and an estimated 1,735 kilograms of cocaine are in federal custody thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard and its international partners in Operation Martillo. Launched initially in 2012, Operation Martillo is an ongoing international effort meant to staunch the flow of illegal narcotics from Central America.

“Martillo is an international operation focused on sharing information and bringing together air, land and maritime assets from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as Western Hemisphere and European partner nation agencies to counter illicit trafficking,” an email from the coast guard explained. The latest seizures and detainees associated with the international effort arrived at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg on the Cutter Tarpon Wednesday, May 3.

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According to the coast guard, the eight accused smugglers were arrested during four separate encounters along the Central American coastline that took place between April 12-21 as part of Operation Martillo.

The agency reports its biggest haul occurred on April 18 when coast guard personnel on the USS Zephyr and coalition forces intercepted 750 kilograms of contraband and five suspected smugglers in international waters about 120 miles south of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. A Royal Netherlands Navy multi-purpose frigate was also involved in that seizure. The cocaine confiscated in that seizure has an estimated wholesale value of $22.5 million, according to the coast guard.

"Over all, this offload represents our recent success in securing our borders and preventing illegal, regionally destabilizing narcotics from reaching our streets," said Cmdr. Willy Carmichael, assistant branch chief of Coast Guard 7th District Response Enforcement. "It is truly an interagency and international effort that directly supports the commandant's Western Hemisphere strategy."

Since Operation Martillo began in 2012, authorities have seized an estimated 693 metric tons of cocaine, $25 million in cash and 581 boats and aircraft. Authorities from U.S. Southern Command report 1,863 people have been arrested as part of the ongoing operation, as well.

Photos courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard