USCG Nabs 80+ Bales of Pot from Sailboat off NB
June 5, 2013
Byline: The Log Staff
NEWPORT BEACH — A Coast Guard law enforcement team discovered approximately 80 bales of marijuana aboard a suspected drug-smuggling sailboat at around 1 a.m. June 3 on Balboa Island.
According to a Coast Guard statement, a 45-foot response boat crew was on a routine patrol in Newport Harbor when Coast Guard crewmembers spotted and decided to board a sailboat entering the harbor.
As the crew approached the sailboat, the pilot reportedly veered to the right and ran the sailboat onto the beach. Two people reportedly jumped from the sailboat and ran away.
Coast Guard crewmembers docked their 45-footer and made their way to the beached vessel, where they reportedly discovered approximately 80 to 90 bales of marijuana. The drugs, along with the boat, were seized by investigators assigned to the multi-agency Los Angeles Border Enforcement Security Taskforce.
The taskforce, headed by U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, is conducting an ongoing investigation.
