WASHINGTON: A total of 13,000 pounds of marijuana was seized from a cargo freighter off the coast of Puerto Rico earlier this month, the U.S. Coast Guard announced here the other day.
Coast Guard officials said 12 suspected smugglers were arrested May 13 during the at-sea interdiction, which also involved the Royal Netherlands Navy and U.S. Law Enforcement partner agencies.
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Authorities said crew members aboard the vessel Caribbean Soul claimed the freighter was a U.S.-flagged vessel that was experiencing steering problems. The Coast Guard said the ship was deemed to be stateless after it was revealed that the freighter was no longer a registered vessel in the U.S.
Authorities said the drugs have an estimated wholesale value of $13 million.
Six men from Jamaica, five from Guyana and one from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will be prosecuted in Puerto Rico.
