$44.2 million worth of cocaine captured, brought to San Diego: Coast Guard

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The United States Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy intercepted thousands of pounds of narcotics and dropped it off in San Diego Thursday, military officials said.

The incident occurred on Sept. 5 around 430 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, the Coast Guard said in a news release Thursday.

Members aboard Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Yellowknife, a Kingston-class coastal defense vessel, and a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment team were able to seize more than 3,100 pounds of cocaine worth $44.2 million, according to military officials.

“I congratulate the entire crew of the Yellowknife for their successful patrol in the Eastern Pacific, and I thank them for their dedicated service,” said Capt. Tim Lavier, Coast Guard District 11 chief of response. “Deploying a Coast Guard law enforcement team aboard a Canadian Navy ship in the Eastern Pacific is a significant showcase of the strong relationship we have built with our Canadian partners.”

The Coast Guard reiterated its efforts in preventing drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean through detection, monitoring, interdictions and criminal prosecutions. The Eleventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda, California, conducts the law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.