The US Coast Guard has interdicted cocaine estimated to have a wholesale value of $32.4m during a boarding of a general cargoship. The seizure of the 973 kilograms of drugs on the 2,150-dwt Memory (built 1978) took place 10 August, although the agency did not reveal the operation until today. The Panama-flag ship was intercepted by the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa, which came across the suspect vessel in international waters as part of its migrant and drug interdiction operations in the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti. A secret compartment containing the drugs was found during a search that lasted several days. "This is a huge win for the crew [of the Tampa],” said Commander Clinton S. Carlson, commanding officer of the cutter. “A boarding like this takes the concerted effort of all hands in one form or another, and the Tampa crew did magnificent and ultimately kept these drugs from crossing our borders.” The drugs and 11 suspects were handed over to the US Justice Department in Miami.
Clarksons and Equasis list the Memory as controlled by Colombia’s Memory Ocean Trade, which could not be immediately reached for comment on this story.
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