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Coast Guard seizes more than $44.5 million worth of cocaine in Caribbean

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard seized more than $44.5 million worth of cocaine last week in international waters near Puerto Rico, it said in a news release Wednesday.

The drugs were seized during two different incidents. On March 15, Coast Guard officials said they detected a 30-foot go-fast vessel in international waters off Puerto Rico.

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A cutter crew detained two suspected smugglers and seized 400 kilograms of cocaine in that incident, officials said.

The second incident was in the evening of March 15, when the Coast Guard spotted a second go-fast vessel near Puerto Rico. Crew members detained three suspected smugglers and seized 929 kilograms of cocaine.

The cocaine seized in the first incident is in custody of DEA’s Caribbean Division.” The cocaine seized in the second incident is in custody of DEA special agents in St. Croix “for processing and disposition,” according to the release.