It said that the Coast Guard Cutter, Bernard C. Webber, conducted a safety boarding Saturday of the vessel and as it came alongside the vessel, crew members saw a package being jettisoned overboard, which was later recovered.

The Webber crew discovered an additional 17 bales and three packages aboard, and seized approximately 750 pounds of marijuana. Aboard the intercepted vessel were three Bahamians, two Jamaicans and one Guyanese.

“This interdiction is a direct success of our focused efforts to defeat these transnational criminal networks,” said Commander Willie Carmichael, acting chief of enforcement for Seventh Coast Guard District.

“Our newest fast response cutters have proven critical in defending our maritime border, which these criminal organizations seek to exploit.”
Approximately 45 miles separate the South Florida and Bahamian coasts, which is constantly patrolled by the Coast Guard and other law enforcement partners to detect, deter and stop illegal smuggling ventures, the Coast Guard added.