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Crewmembers at Coast Guard Station Miami Beach offload 2,058 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated wholesale value of $1.9 million, at Base Miami Beach, May 2. The Coast Guard Cutter Dependable interdicted the contraband on April 23 during a routine patrol in the Caribbean Sea. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jon-Paul Rios)
A crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable transfers a bale of marijuana off the coast of Miami, May 2, 2014. The Dependable interdicted $1.9 million of marijuana during a patrol in the Caribbean Sea. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Barney)
Crew members from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, Fla., offload 2,058 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated wholesale value of $1.9 million, at Base Miami Beach, Friday. On April 23, during a patrol in the Caribbean, crew members from the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable interdicted a go-fast vessel, took four suspected smugglers into custody and discovered 48 bales of what later tested positive for marijuana. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sabrina Laberdesque)
Petty Officer 3rd Class Roger Lewis, a crewmember from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, Fla., carries a bale of contraband during an offload of 2,058 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated wholesale value of $1.9 million, at Base Miami Beach, Friday. On April 23, during a patrol in the Caribbean, crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable interdicted a go-fast vessel, took four suspected smugglers into custody and discovered 48 bales of what later tested positive for marijuana. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sabrina Laberdesque)
Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, Fla., offload 2,058 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated wholesale value of $1.9 million, at Base Miami Beach, Friday. On April 23, during a patrol in the Caribbean, crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable interdicted a go-fast vessel, took four suspected smugglers into custody and discovered 48 bales of what later tested positive for marijuana. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sabrina Laberdesque)
MIAMI — Crewmembers at Coast Guard Station Miami Beach offloaded 2,058 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated wholesale value of $1.9 million, at Base Miami Beach, Friday.
On April 23, during a patrol in the Caribbean, crewmembers aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter detected a go-fast vessel. The Coast Guard Cutter Dependable launched their smallboat crew to pursue the vessel. Upon arriving on scene, the small boat law enforcement team boarded the vessel took four suspected smugglers into custody and discovered 48 bales of what later tested positive for marijuana.
"This seizure highlights the hard work and dedication of our crews in stopping the illegal flow of drugs in the Caribbean," said Cmdr. Timothy Cronin, deputy chief of enforcement. "This interdiction demonstrates the effectiveness of our commitment to keep illicit drugs off our streets.”
In calendar year 2013, the Coast Guard Seventh District removed $22 million in marijuana and 1.8 billion in cocaine throughout the Caribbean, including Western Caribbean, Central Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean.
The Dependable is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Cape May, New Jersey.