The U.S. Coast Guard released video footage Thursday of a crewman jumping onto a moving submarine as it sped through the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
A crew member on the Coast Guard cutter, Munro, is heard shouting orders for the drug trafficking submarine to stop as they come alongside the vessel in an attempt to board it.
“It’s gonna be hard to get on,” a nearby crewman says. Moments later, another crew member in full tactical gear successfully boards the submarine and proceeds to pound his fist on the hatch. The hatch then opens, and a suspect’s arms emerge in a show of surrender.
Reports state that five more people were found inside the submarine, along with 17,000 pounds of cocaine. The street value of the illegal drug seized in this particular instance is estimated to be about $232 million.
The operation that was caught on camera was part of a larger mission by the U.S. Coast Guard that in total intercepted 39,000 pounds of cocaine and 933 pounds of marijuana. The combined estimate for the drugs seized is $569 million.
Vice President Mike Pence visited the Naval Air Station North Island near San Diego on Thursday to congratulate the crew for the successful outcome of its counter-narcotics operation.
Pence called the occasion “momentous” and praised the crew members for their heroic actions.
“I came here today on behalf of your commander in chief and the American people to say thank you for a job well done,” he said. “And welcome home.”
The vice president also reassured crew members that a plentiful budget will be used to purchase new ships for the U.S. Coast Guard.
“We are committed to fully funding our Coast Guard and replacing old ships with new ones, just like the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro. Get ready, more help is on the way,” he concluded.
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