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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 19 June 2019

33K pounds of cocaine seized in one of biggest U.S. drug busts

about $38 million — at that sey with a street value esti- in Philadelphia after 5 a.m.
time the city’s largest sei- mated at $77 million. That Monday.
zure of the drug in more was the largest cocaine The ship’s previous ports of
than two decades. bust at the ports since 1994. call were the Bahamas on
In February, customs Online ship trackers said June 13, Panama on June
agents seized 3,200 pounds the vessel detained in Phil- 9, Peru on May 24 and Co-
(1,451 kilograms) at the Port adelphia sails under the lombia on May 19, records
of New York and New Jer- flag of Liberia and arrived show.q

Authorities search a container along the Delaware River in
Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 18, 2019. U.S. authorities have
seized more than $1 billion worth of cocaine from a ship at
a Philadelphia port, calling it one of the largest drug busts in
American history.
Associated Press
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM and An affidavit alleged that
MATT ROURKE crew members helped
Associated Press load the cocaine onto the
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — U.S. MSC Gayane while it was
authorities seized 33,000 at sea off the west coast of
pounds, or 15,000 kilo- South America. Citing an
grams, of cocaine from a interview with one of the
ship at Philadelphia’s port crew members, authori-
in what they described ties said a total of 14 boats
as one of the largest drug approached the vessel on
busts in American history. two separate occasions
They said the haul could during its voyage. Several
have been worth more crew members allegedly
than $1 billion on the street. helped transfer bales of
The U.S. attorney’s office in cocaine.
Philadelphia announced The ship’s second mate,
the massive bust on Twitter Ivan Durasevic, and anoth-
on Tuesday afternoon, say- er crew member, Fonofaa-
ing that law enforcement vae Tiasage, were charged
agents found the cocaine with conspiracy to possess
on a ship at the Packer Ma- cocaine aboard a ship.
rine Terminal. Two members An online court docket did
of the crew were arrested not list attorneys for the de-
and face federal charges. fendants. It wasn’t clear
Agents with dogs swarmed whether other crew mem-
the colossal ship Tuesday bers would face charges.
afternoon, including one The drug seizure is the latest
officer who could be seen in a series of large cocaine
climbing into the back of busts along the East Coast.
a large red container on In a March bust in Phila-
wheels. Court documents delphia, drug dogs sniffed
said the bust began Mon- out 1,185 pounds (538 kilo-
day. grams) of cocaine worth