A U.S. Navy frigate chased a speed boat through international waters off Central America then recovered cocaine worth $26 million after the suspected smugglers tossed their cargo overboard, the Navy reported.
The guided-missile frigate USS Carr, based in Norfolk, Va., was conducting patrols in tandem with maritime aircraft as part of Operation Martillo, a mission to crack down on organized drug trafficking, when a small vessel suspected of smuggling was spotted on Oct. 10.
The crew of the small vessel dumped their cargo, and the next day the Carr crew discovered what turned out to be more than 700 pounds of cocaine.
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Operation Martillo - Martillo is Spanish for "hammer" - is an effort by U.S, Europe and Western Hemisphere allies to target illegal trade routes along the Central American coast.
The Carr has seized more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine and 4,134 pounds of marijuana during its most recent deployment, which began in June, according to the ship’s Facebook page.
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