The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded more than 15,000 pounds of cocaine and marijuana seized from Eastern Pacific waters in San Diego Bay Thursday.
The agency said the drugs — 11,300 pounds of cocaine and 4,076 pounds of marijuana seized in eight interdictions — are worth about $233 million on the black market.
The seizures were made by the crews of several cutters, including Cutter Kimball, Cutter Legare and Cutter Spencer, the Coast Guard said. In one instance, the Kimball crew worked with Canadian defense vessel Yellowknife to seize about 331 pounds of cocaine.
The Honolulu-based Kimball brought the contraband to San Diego, where crew members hauled pallets carrying the drugs onto land Thursday morning.
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“Illicit drugs cost our country nearly $200 billion every year in crime, health, safety and lost productivity,” Vice Adm. Michael McAllister, the Coast Guard's Pacific area commander, said at a dockside press conference.
“But it's not just about keeping drugs off the streets of our country,” he said. “Our combined operations provide important contributions to regional stability in Central and South America, and very broad security implications all along our southwest border.”
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Capt. Thomas D'Arcy, commander of the Kimball, said 15 individuals were detained during the seizures.
