During a routine patrol, the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba detected a suspicious go-fast vessel and launched a boat crew to investigate. (Courtesy of the JIATFS)
Transnational criminal organizations have long used the vast waters and numerous islands of the Caribbean Sea as drug trafficking routes, prompting U.S. authorities to continuously strengthen maritime crackdowns. Recently, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a suspicious high-speed boat during a routine patrol and seized suspected marijuana with a total estimated value of over $2.4 million.