$69 million worth of cocaine and marijuana seized at sea

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WPEC) — The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded more than $69 million worth of cocaine and marijuana at Port Everglades on Tuesday.

The haul came from the interdiction of four go-fast smuggling boats by the USS Farragut.

The crew seized 2,314 kilograms of cocaine and 1,986 pounds of marijuana.

A number of federal agencies worked with the Coast Guard on the operation, including the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. One detachment involved the Navy Combat Element One from the “Jaguars” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Six Zero (HSM-60) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

"We were proud to work with the U.S. Coast Guard on the frontline of the threat that transnational drug trafficking presents to national security," said Cmdr. Nicholas Gurley, commanding officer of USS Farragut. "Our experienced crew, HSM-60 CEL One and the members of our LEDET were essential to the success of this operation."

The fight against drug cartels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean is coordinated by Joint Interagency Task Force-South, based in Key West.

The Coast Guard says the suspected smugglers are facing federal charges.