(USNewsMag.com) – The largest seizure of a cocaine shipment this year happened in the Caribbean Sea this week when a speed boat was intercepted and captured after a high-speed chase.
On Tuesday, March 26th, authorities seized nearly four tons of cocaine off the coast of Colombia, estimated to be worth over $113 million. The vessel was intercepted near San Andres Isla. The operation was conducted by the U.S. Southern Command Joint Interagency Task Force, the Colombian Air Force, and the Colombian Navy in a joint operation.
Aerial footage released by the Colombian Navy showed the high-speed chase after the boat began to act evasively. During the chase, the boat’s passengers were seen “throwing packages into the water.” The chase went on for several miles before they finally caught up with the boat. Onboard were Venezuelan and Honduran nationals, as well as three Colombian nationals. They were carrying approximately 3,355 kilos of cocaine, which amounts to around 3.7 tons, making it the largest single cocaine bust in 2024.
Another video released by the Navy showed them removing hundreds of packages from the vessel. According to officials, the seizure stopped over eight million doses of the drug from reaching streets in “different countries.” The vessel, its cargo, and all five suspects were placed in the custody of the Attorney General’s Office.
Days before the joint Colombia-U.S. operation, an American patrol aircraft and a British warship intercepted a speedboat close to the US Virgin Islands. Around three tons of the drug was seized, according to the UK Defense Ministry.
Last month, a total of 1.3 tons (1,342 kilos) of the drug was recovered between three separate busts in the same Caribbean Sea area, according to the Colombian Navy. Those seizures were valued at around $45 million collectively if the drug would have made it to the international market.
Such busts are common off the Colombian shores, as the Latin American nation produced around 60% of the world’s cocaine supply.
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