Authorities Seize 2.4 Tons of Drug From Fishing Vessel

(LibertyInsider.org) – Drugs are a real problem around the world. Many cartels produce and traffic substances to various countries, smuggling them in and hoping to make profits. Most of the world’s cocaine, approximately 70 to 80%, comes from Colombia. Authorities routinely carry out operations to seize the drugs while in transit, before they ever reach their destination. The French Navy recently seized more than 2 tons of the stimulant.

On Monday, May 27, authorities revealed that they seized 2.4 tons of cocaine from a Venezuelan fishing boat near the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean on May 15. This marked the third seizure this month and the seventh for the year, per the Forces armées aux Antilles Facebook page. After they seized the drugs, the French Navy turned over the cocaine, the crew, and the boat to Venezuelan authorities.

2.4 tons of cocaine seized from a fishing boat in the Atlantic Ocean after a tip from the customs department https://t.co/3oHlcXZfbE

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 28, 2024

Two prior interdictions took place on May 2 and May 9. All in all, authorities have removed 12 tons of cocaine from the hands of traffickers. The amount of drugs seized only continues to increase. In 2022, for example, 22.7 tons of cocaine were reportedly removed from the Atlantic Ocean, where distribution networks operate, transporting narcotics from South America to either Europe or North America. That number was more than five times what authorities confiscated in 2002.

The Caribbean tends to be a hotbed of activity. In early March, for example, a US aircraft and British warship, HMS Trent, worked together to seize more than 6,000 pounds of cocaine and other drugs near the Virgin Islands. The substances had an estimated street value of nearly $300 million.

A speedboat carrying the drugs tried to lead authorities on a high-speed chase while at the same time attempting to dump the drugs to avoid detection. Four crew members were eventually detained. The HMS Trent scoured the waters for 10 hours, recovering more than 2,000 pounds from the water. This was just one of many incidents that continue to plague international waters.