SUSPECTED SOUTH AMERICAN NARCOTIC SMUGGLERS APPREHENDED OFF COAST OF ECUADOR CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING 1,535 KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE

Virgin Islands / July 5, 2019

ST. THOMAS — Freddy Montano Paz, 29, Calixto Tumbaco, 41, Mariano Abregon, 42, and Hector Hernandez Saucedo, 48, appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller for arraignment and detention hearings on charges of conspiracy to possess and possession of a controlled substance on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. At the conclusion of the hearings, Magistrate Miller ordered all four defendant detained pending trial.

Oh this is interesting didn’t we just watch the coast guard catch a semi-submersible?

The information alleges that Montano Paz, Tumbaco, Abregon and Hernandez Saucedo were all on board a semi-submercible vessel that was intercepted by the United States Coast GuardHamilton (USCG) cutter while on routine patrol.

The USCG crew first sighted the semi-submercible vessel on May 10, 2019, approximately 250 nautical miles northwest of Esmeraldes, Ecuador. The vessel did not display any indicia indicating its nationality.

After being detected, the four occupants— two Columbian nationals, one Ecuadorian national, and one Mexican national– began tossing the bales of suspected narcotics overboard their vessel. The USCG disabled the semi-submercible vessel, and successfully seized 40 bales of suspected narcotics, including bales that were tossed overboard. The 40 recovered bales contained approximately 1,535 kilograms of a white powdery substance that field tested positive for cocaine.

This case is being investigated by the USCG and the Drug Enforcement Agency, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia L. Smith.

https://viconsortium.com/news-2/south-american-narcotic-smugglers-apprehended-off-coast-of-ecuador-charged-with-trafficking-1535-kilograms-of-cocaine/