On February 28, a joint federal and state task force seized 1.5 tons of cocaine at the Port of New York and New Jersey's Port Newark terminals. It was a small amount relative to the multi-ton hauls the Coast Guard confiscates in interdictions at sea, but it was still a success, marking the largest seizure of its kind at Port Newark in 25 years.
According to the New York Times, the find occurred by chance when inspectors were examining containers from the vessel MSC Carlotta, which had just arrived from Colombia. One container's seals showed signs of tampering, and when officers opened its doors, they found sixty packages containing about 3,200 pounds of cocaine. The shipment has an estimated street value of $77 million.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) described the bust as a joint effort involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York Police Department and the New York State Police, with assistance from the UK's National Crime Agency and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “This is a significant seizure, in fact it is the largest cocaine seizure at the Port of New York/Newark since May 1994,” said Troy Miller, CBP's director for New York Field Operations.
Source: www.maritime-executive.com