President Donald Trump’s administration held a news conference on Wednesday at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale after the U.S. Coast Guard reported offloading cargo that was part of over $509 million in cocaine and marijuana seized during 13 interdictions in the Atlantic.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said there were about 45,000 pounds of “pure” cocaine and 38,000 pounds of marijuana in the illegal shipments that were tied to two Mexican cartels: The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known in Spanish as “Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación” or CJNG, and Sinaloa.
USCG Vice Adm. Nathan Moore, the commander of the Atlantic area, said cutters James and Mohawk were involved in seizing the cocaine and marijuana and arresting suspects. He had a message for the cartels: “We own the sea; you do not. We will find you!”
Capt. Thomas Rodzewicz, the commanding officer of cutter James, said the team arrested 34 “narcotraffickers” as they “controlled an area the size of the continental” U.S., in a search that is like finding “a needle in a haystack.”
Kash Patel, the FBI director, praised the designation of drug cartels as terrorist organizations, which he added made the “interagency process” possible. Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus, the deputy commander of the U.S. Southen Command, said the effort against the cartels also involves 21 “partner nations.”
Bondi said the teamwork resulted in 11 ongoing prosecutions in the Middle District of Florida, but she didn’t release any information about the suspects other than the ties to the two Mexican cartels.
President Donald Trump’s administration held a news conference on Wednesday at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – President Donald Trump’s administration held a news conference on Wednesday at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale after the U.S. Coast Guard reported offloading cargo that was part of over $509 million in cocaine and marijuana seized during 13 interdictions in the Atlantic.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said there were about 45,000 pounds of “pure” cocaine and 38,000 pounds of marijuana in the illegal shipments that were tied to two Mexican cartels: The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known in Spanish as “Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación” or CJNG, and Sinaloa.
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USCG Vice Adm. Nathan Moore, the commander of the Atlantic area, said cutters James and Mohawk were involved in seizing the cocaine and marijuana and arresting suspects. He had a message for the cartels: “We own the sea; you do not. We will find you!”
Capt. Thomas Rodzewicz, the commanding officer of cutter James, said the team arrested 34 “narcotraffickers” as they “controlled an area the size of the continental” U.S., in a search that is like finding “a needle in a haystack.”
Kash Patel, the FBI director, praised the designation of drug cartels as terrorist organizations, which he added made the “interagency process” possible. Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus, the deputy commander of the U.S. Southen Command, said the effort against the cartels also involves 21 “partner nations.”
Bondi said the teamwork resulted in 11 ongoing prosecutions in the Middle District of Florida, but she didn’t release any information about the suspects other than the ties to the two Mexican cartels.