Coast Guards offloads nearly $.5 billion in cocaine

The Coast Guard brought ashore more than six tons of cocaine Friday in Miami, the agency said.

Four cutters—Seneca, Tahoma, Midgett and Valiant—intercepted a total of eight drug smuggling vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean over the past three months, according to Cmdr. John Christensen.

The Coast Guard offered no estimate of the haul’s wholesale value but a figure the DEA gave to the Sun Sentinel in 2017 might provide some insight.

Six tons, which is approximately 12,000 pounds, is approximately 5,443.1 kilos. The street value for one kilo is anywhere between $26,000 to $28,000. That equates to somewhere between $141 million and $152 million.

But purchasing kilos of cocaine at a time is highly unusual. Purchasing by the gram, usually anywhere between $20 to $50, is much more common. That would mean this much cocaine would be worth roughly $272 million to $435 million.

“These operations enable us to extend our maritime borders, weaken the economic engine of Transnational Criminal Organizations, contribute to enhancing stability and security across our partner nations within Central America, and they combat the drug epidemic within our local communities,” Christensen, the commanding officer of the cutter Seneca, said.

C. Isaiah Smalls II is a reporter covering breaking and trending news for the Miami Herald. Previously, he worked for ESPN’s The Undefeated as part of their inaugural class of Rhoden Fellows. He is a graduate of both Columbia University and Morehouse College.