Coast Guard seizes 16 tons of cocaine

MIAMI, Fla. - The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted more than 16 tons of cocaine in the international waters off the Eastern Pacific Coast and offloaded the drugs in Port Everglades Tuesday.

The large cases full of cocaine were worth about $420 million dollars and were the result of 17 separate busts along the coasts of Central and South America over a period of 26 days. 30 people were arrested.

The drug busts were part of an effort to prevent transnational organized crime networks from reaching the shores of Central America, which then make their way to the United States.

Multiple agencies including the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Coast Guard, and Navy partner with international agencies in these counter-drug operations.