Drug smugglers dump 3,200 pounds of cocaine off Florida

The Coast Guard in Florida has recovered 3,200 pounds of cocaine after it was dumped by fleeing drug smuggling suspects.

A Coast Guard aircraft conducting patrols in the western Caribbean sighted a suspicious "go-fast vessel" on March 18, according to a written statement from the Coast Guard. "When the smugglers knew they had been detected, the go-fast vessel immediately departed the scene at a high rate of speed," the statement said.

The cutter Bear dispatched an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Jacksonville, Florida, in an effort to stop the suspects, and also launched a small boat with a law enforcement team on board, authorities said.

Meanwhile, the suspected smugglers began dumping bales of cocaine overboard as they fled, the Coast Guard said. Although the helicopter fired shots in an effort to stop the vessel, it was able to elude capture.

© AlaskaReport.com All Rights Reserved.