St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (ICE) -- A second look at a
cocaine-carrying sailboat intercepted by the Coast Guard in May and
about to be auctioned off netted almost 1,800 pounds of cocaine.

ICE special agents, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) and officers of the U.S. Virgin Island Police Department
discovered 1,764.4 pounds of cocaine hidden within the walls of a
49-foot sailboat, the British-flagged vessel S/V Gio, docked at the
Port of St. Croix.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) intercepted the Gio on May 11th
following a routine patrol off the coast of Anguilla. At that time, the
vessel along with its crewmen, were escorted to the Port of St. Thomas
after Coast Guard officers discovered 411 pounds of cocaine on board
the vessel.

The vessel, which will be auctioned, was being inspected once again by
federal agents and local officers when they discovered the additional
contraband.

The crewmen have been in U.S. Marshals custody since their arrest in
May. They are currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center
in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico pending their trial.

"For many years the lesser Antilles archipelago has been the
preferred route narcotics smugglers use to bring their contraband into
the United States. However, the presence of ICE in this geographical
area has changed that dramatically," said Lydia St. John-Mellado,
special agent-in- charge of ICE in San Juan, Puerto Rico. "We are
shutting down this route, and with it a vulnerability that once existed
in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico."

They must have sniffed it out....

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Joe" wrote in message
ps.com...
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (ICE) -- A second look at a
cocaine-carrying sailboat intercepted by the Coast Guard in May and
about to be auctioned off netted almost 1,800 pounds of cocaine.

ICE special agents, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) and officers of the U.S. Virgin Island Police Department
discovered 1,764.4 pounds of cocaine hidden within the walls of a
49-foot sailboat, the British-flagged vessel S/V Gio, docked at the
Port of St. Croix.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) intercepted the Gio on May 11th
following a routine patrol off the coast of Anguilla. At that time, the
vessel along with its crewmen, were escorted to the Port of St. Thomas
after Coast Guard officers discovered 411 pounds of cocaine on board
the vessel.

The vessel, which will be auctioned, was being inspected once again by
federal agents and local officers when they discovered the additional
contraband.

The crewmen have been in U.S. Marshals custody since their arrest in
May. They are currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center
in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico pending their trial.

"For many years the lesser Antilles archipelago has been the
preferred route narcotics smugglers use to bring their contraband into
the United States. However, the presence of ICE in this geographical
area has changed that dramatically," said Lydia St. John-Mellado,
special agent-in- charge of ICE in San Juan, Puerto Rico. "We are
shutting down this route, and with it a vulnerability that once existed
in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico."