US Coast Guards jump on narco-sub, seize cocaine worth $262mn

San Francisco, July 12 (IANS) In a scene straight out of a Hollywood film, the US Coast Guard has released a video of a service member jumping onto a moving semi-submersible vessel -- often called "narco-submarine" -- filled with 16,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $262 million.

The "narco-submarines" are often used by traffickers to smuggle narcotics into other countries.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Munro seized the drugs along with five suspected smugglers in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Fox News reported late Thursday, quoting Chief Petty Officer John Masson with the US Coast Guard.

"@VP (Mike Pence) is welcoming back the crew of CG Cutter Munro as they turn over 39K lbs of cocaine from drug seizures like this one from a semi-submersible off South America to federal agents," US Coast Guard tweeted.

In the video, a crew member wearing a helmet camera, jumped onto the drug smuggling vessel, shouting "stop your boat now" in Spanish.

"Make no mistake about it, Coasties, your courageous service is saving American lives," Pence said.

"Our administration are determined to SECURE our border!" he later Tweeted.

The US Coast Guard have seized a total of 39,000 pounds of cocaine and 933 pounds of marijuana worth a combined estimated $569 million between May and July 2019.