Coast Guard seizes $260 million worth of cocaine near San Diego

The Coast Guard delivered expensive cargo in San Diego Monday, 8.5 tons of cocaine.

Authorities said the street value is a whopping $260-million. Crews from the Cutter Steadfast and Alert seized it in four operations off the Pacific coast of Central and South America.

More than 5,000 kilograms came from a single bust. The Coast Guard recovered it after smugglers dumped it into the water and escaped in a high speed chase. It is the largest seizure from a single small vessel since 2016.

“I continue to be impressed by the dedication and tenacity of the crews aboard our cutters and the difficult, dangerous missions they perform,” said Cmdr. Alain Balmaceda, commanding officer of the Steadfast. “Their hard work means two things. First, more than eight tons of cocaine won’t reach our streets and add to the drug-related deaths and health problems facing our nation. And second, hundreds of millions of dollars are being denied to transnational criminal organizations who spread instability, death and despair wherever they operate.”