Marijuana seized off Haiti's coast
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
MIAMI, USA (AFP): US officials seized 436
kilos (960 pounds) of marijuana and detained three people after chasing a
speedboat into Haitian waters with permission from the Port-au-Prince
government, the US Coast Guard (USCG) said Tuesday.
The three suspects claimed to be Jamaican nationals, the USCG said in a
statement. The Coast Guard vessel Thetis was
patrolling south of Haiti when its crew spotted the suspicious boat and chased
it "into Haitian waters after enacting a standing bilateral agreement between
the two countries for the purpose of counter-drug operations," the statement
said. "During the pursuit, the smugglers
tossed nine bales of marijuana overboard before finally stopping two miles off
the coast of Haiti. A boarding later discovered an additional 15 bales still
on the vessel," the USCG said, adding that the total shipment amounted to 960
pounds. The three people aboard the speedboat
are to be prosecuted in Miami, while their vessel was handed over to Haitian
authorities. "This is an important step in
the continuing restoration of security and stability in Haiti," said Rear
Admiral Harvey Johnson, who commands USCG operations in the region.
"We have removed a large amount of illegal drugs from Haiti that may have been
destined for the U.S., and the Haitian government has demonstrated their
commitment to continued cooperation in the international effort to stem the
flow of drugs that moves through the Caribbean region."
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