MEXICO CITY, Feb 16: The Salvadoran Navy intercepted a vessel carrying 6.6 tonnes of cocaine worth approximately $165 million, marking the largest drug seizure in the country’s history, President Nayib Bukele announced.
“Our national navy has carried out the largest drug seizure in the history of El Salvador,” Bukele wrote on social media.
According to the president, the operation took place 380 nautical miles (703.7 kilometers) southwest of the country’s coast. The navy intercepted the 54-meter-long FMS EAGLE, a support vessel registered under the Tanzanian flag.
“The hidden compartments contained 330 bales, equivalent to 6.6 tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated value of $165 million,” Bukele added.
The president clarified that the drugs had been hidden in ballast tanks. Navy divers were deployed to locate them, inspecting the hull and confirming the presence of the stash.
All ten people on board, including four Colombians, three Nicaraguans, two Panamanians, and one Ecuadorian, were detained.
Bukele called the operation another powerful blow to drug trafficking, adding his thanks “for the new ship.”
UNI)
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