Cutter Tahoma Offloads $143.5M in Cocaine at Port Everglades

Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma’s crew offloads more than 7,500 pounds of cocaine, an estimated street value of $143.5 million, at Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June 14, 2021. *U.S. COAST GUARD / Chief Petty Officer Charly Tautfest*

MIAMI — Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma’s crew offloaded more than 7,500 pounds of cocaine in Port Everglades, Florida, an estimated street value of $143.5 million, Monday, after three interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a June 14 release.

A maritime patrol flight spotted a vessel on April 16, and a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment team on the HMCS Saskatoon apprehended five suspects and nearly 4,000 pounds of cocaine from the low-profile vessel. The vessel was destroyed as a hazard to navigation.

A maritime patrol flight spotted a vessel on April 20, and Tahoma’s law enforcement team apprehended four suspects and 2,400 pounds of cocaine from the low-profile vessel, and again the vessel was destroyed.

While on patrol, a Tahoma crewmember found cocaine bales floating in the water on April 23. The bales were recovered, totaling nearly 1,200 pounds of cocaine.