A Canadian warship has seized more than 1,400 kilograms of cocaine during an anti-drug-trafficking operation in Central America.
The crew of the coastal defence vessel HMCS Yellowknife, along with a detachment of U.S. Coast Guard officers, intercepted the drugs approximately 700 kilometres southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, last week, according to Canadian and U.S. authorities.
The cocaine, which the U.S. Coast Guard estimated to be worth US$44.2 million, was offloaded in San Diego, Calif., on Sept. 5.
The Department of National Defence referred all questions about the seizure to U.S. officials on Friday.
“I congratulate the entire crew of the Yellowknife for their successful patrol in the eastern Pacific, and I thank them for their dedicated service,” U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Tim Lavier said in a statement.
“Deploying a coast guard law enforcement team aboard a Canadian navy ship in the eastern Pacific is a significant showcase of the strong relationship …