As the Royal Navy’s HMS Lancaster approached, three men aboard a 30-foot go-fast boat near Puerto Rico tried to dispose of evidence by throwing bales of cocaine into the ocean, authorities said.
But the drugs were quickly recovered during the Aug. 14 operation.
A total of 22 bales, weighing 680 kilograms, were seized, and the three men on board were handed over to the United States Coast Guard and then to authorities in Puerto Rico, according to a Royal Navy press release.
“This extraordinary quantity of drugs has been stopped from reaching the streets by the swift actions of the Royal Navy, working closely with the US Coast Guard,” United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence Philip Hammond said.
The drugs have a wholesale value of more than $24 million, according to a USCG press release. The boat was first seen by officers aboard a US Customs and Border Protection marine surveillance aircraft and deemed suspicious.
See the Aug. 22, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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