JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Coast Guard has released images of the moment a Florida crew took down a self-propelled semi-submersible earlier this month.
According to the Coast Guard, the craft was carrying approximately 12,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific near the equator. The drugs are worth more than $165 million.
The semi-submersible was first spotted by maritime patrol aircraft, and intercepted by Coast Guard Cutter Valiant, based out of Mayport, Florida.
Only 1,100 pounds of the cocaine were offloaded. The remaining drugs could not be safely offloaded due stability and safety problems.
The submarine was later sunk as a hazard to navigation.
Four suspects were taken into custody.
The Coast Guard made a similar bust on a submersible back in July. That one was carrying over 16,000 pounds of cocaine.
