Federal authorities seized $77 million worth of cocaine at the Port of New York and New Jersey on Monday in the largest drug bust at that specific dock since 1994, ABC News reports.
Arriving at the port in late February from Colombia, the shipping container held crates labeled as dried fruit. However, after what was a routine interdiction, the agents looked behind the crates and found 3,200 lbs. of the illegal drug. (RELATED: Florida Officials Warns Deadly Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine Is Becoming ‘Widespread’)
Feds seize tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine in the largest cocaine seizure in New York in a quarter century. https://t.co/CZU6enkfE3 pic.twitter.com/A7TqZGFm7g
— ABC News (@ABC) March 11, 2019
“This is a significant seizure,” said Troy Miller, director of Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Operations. “In fact, it is the largest cocaine seizure at the Port of New York/Newark since May 1994.”
The cargo ship from Buena Ventura, Colombia was headed to Antwerp, Belgium, before it was stopped in Newark and police discovered the record-setting amount of drugs hidden behind crates of dried fruit.
Unsure as to whether the delivery was meant to arrive in the United States or Europe, authorities examined the cargo and were lucky to have made the discovery and prevent the drugs from getting in people’s hands. (RELATED: Green Beret Caught Allegedly Sneaking 90 Pounds Of Cocaine Into The US)
“Cocaine, New York’s nemesis of the 90s, is back-indicating traffickers push to build an emerging customer base of users mixing cocaine with fentanyl,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan. “This record-breaking seizure draws attention to this new threat and shows law enforcement’s collaborative efforts in seizing illicit drugs before it gets to the streets and into users’ hands.”
In January, the largest fentanyl bust in history was made along the southern border. Estimated to be have been enough fentanyl to kill more than 50 million people, the truck was captured by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol as it tried to cross the border.