JACKONSVILLE, Fla. (AP) - U.S. customs officials helped law enforcement in Panama intercept more than 3,300 pounds of pure cocaine this past weekend.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports that crewmembers aboard a P-3 aircraft were patrolling the open waters near Panama City, Panama, Saturday when they detected a speedboat carrying four suspects, fuel barrels and multiple packages. The crew notified Panama law enforcement and directed three Panamanian interceptors to the speedboat's location. Panamanian law enforcement fired warning shots, causing the speedboat to stop. The suspected traffickers, all claiming Colombian citizenship, were arrested, and their boat was seized.
The fuel barrels were filled with cocaine, an estimated value of more than $242 million.
