676 kg of cocaine intercepted
The French armed forces and Barbadian authorities seized more than 670 kilograms of cocaine during a joint operation on the high seas on 28 January. This major seizure illustrates the effectiveness of international cooperation against drug trafficking in the Caribbean.
On Wednesday 28 January, a French Navy vessel intercepted a fishing boat flying the Barbados flag in the Caribbean Sea. The inspection team quickly identified the presence of suspicious bales on board. Informed of the discovery, the Barbadian authorities exercised their legal jurisdiction and requested that the vessel be diverted to Bridgetown. The Barbadian coastguard then took over, recovering the boat, the individuals arrested and the cargo. Analyses confirmed the seizure of 30 bales of cocaine weighing a total of 676.6 kilograms. This operation, led by the admiral commanding the Antilles maritime zone under the authority of the Prefect of Martinique, was based on intelligence provided by several international partners: the Joint InterAgency Task Force-South (JIATF-S), the National Directorate of Intelligence and Customs Investigations (DNRED), and the air assets of the Regional Security System (RSS) based in Barbados. The armed forces in the Antilles reaffirm their ongoing commitment to the fight against drug trafficking for the security of the Caribbean-Atlantic zone.
