High-speed boat chase leads to seizure of nearly 4 tons of cocaine

[WILL SMITH]

SHUT IT DOWN. THIS IS THE POLICE SHUT IT DOWN.

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IT’S LIKE A SCENE OUT OF AN ACTION MOVIE, PLANES AND MILITARY SHIPS CHASING DOWN A SPEEDBOAT OFF OF THE COAST OF COLUMBIA. BUT THIS IS NO MOVIE, IT’S REAL FOOTAGE OF A HIGH-STAKES CHASE. THE SPEEDBOAT REPORTEDLY CARRYING NEARLY FOUR TONS OF COCAINE, WORTH $113 MILLION. IT’S SAID TO BE THE LARGEST COCAINE SHIPMENT SEIZURE OF THE YEAR ALONG THE COLUMBIAN CARIBBEAN.

THE OPERATION INVOLVED THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF THE COLUMBIAN NAVY, AIR FORCE AND JOINT INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE OF THE UNITED STATES SOUTHERN COMMAND.

THE NAVY RELEASED VIDEO SHOWING THE SPEEDBOAT’S CREW THROWING PACKAGES OVERBOARD, THEN MANEUVERING ERRATICALLY TO SHAKE AUTHORITIES. 

THE HIGH-SPEED CHASE WENT SEVERAL MILES, WITH AUTHORITIES EVENTUALLY CAPTURING THE CREW.

THREE COLUMBIANS, ONE HONDURIAN AND ONE VENEZUELAN WERE AMONG THOSE DETAINED. 

THE DRUGS, THE BOAT, AND FIVE SUSPECTS WERE THEN TURNED INTO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE.

DAYS BEFORE THIS CHASE, OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED AN AMERICAN PATROL AIRCRAFT AND BRITISH WARSHIP PURSUED ANOTHER SPEEDBOAT. THE CREW REPORTEDLY THREW DRUGS INTO THE WATER NEAR THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. THOSE SMUGGLERS WERE CARRYING THREE TONS OF COCAINE AND OTHER DRUGS, ACCORDING TO U.K. OFFICIALS. .

AND LAST MONTH, A JOINT SEARCH-AND-RESCUE MISSION BY THE COLOMBIAN AND ECUADORIAN NAVIES FOR TWO FISHERMEN OFF OF COLUMBIA’S COAST LED TO A SO-CALLED “NARCO-SUB” LOADED WITH MORE THAN FOUR TONS OF COCAINE WITH A CASH VALUE OF MORE THAN $200 MILLION. 

COLOMBIA ACCOUNTS FOR 70 TO 80% OF THE WORLD’S COCAINE SUPPLY, ACCORDING TO THE DEA. AND A U-N REPORT SHOWS POTENTIAL COCA PRODUCTION IN COLUMBIA HAD RISEN 24 PERCENT SINCE 2021.