The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton and local forces seized an estimated 2,380 pounds of suspected marijuana worth approximately $2.8 million Saturday near Great Inagua, Bahamas.
The Charles Sexton crew and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force boarded a suspected drug-smuggling vessel about 80 miles southwest of Great Inagua, where they discovered 97 bales of suspected marijuana. The three people aboard the vessel were transferred to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force for prosecution along with the narcotics.
“This interdiction highlights the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to combating transnational organized crime in the region,” Lt. Peter Fager, commanding officer of the Charles Sexton, said in a statement. “Working together, we continue to disrupt illicit trafficking and protect the security and stability of our maritime borders.”
The effort was carried out in coordination with the Bahamian government and U.S. Coast Guard Homeland Security Cutter-Ocean.
The Homeland Security Cutter-Ocean initiative is designed to use commercially operated vessels to provide logistical support to Coast Guard cutters while they remain at sea. The initiative aims to improve fleet readiness by delivering personnel, fuel and supplies directly to cutters, allowing them to remain on station longer without returning to port.
“As demands on the Coast Guard continue to grow, we must find innovative ways to sustain our fleet and keep our crews focused on the mission,” Vice Adm. Nate Moore, deputy commandant for operations, said in a statement. “Homeland Security Cutter-Ocean will help us deliver critical supplies and personnel more efficiently while increasing the endurance and effectiveness of our operational forces.”