Canadian warship intercepts, destroys shipment of cocaine off Central America
A Canadian warship has intercepted and destroyed approximately 800 kilograms of cocaine found aboard a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The seizure happened on March 6, less than two weeks after HMCS Yellowknife and its 40 crewmembers departed Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, B.C., alongside HMCS Saskatoon.
The pair of coastal defence vessels are on a three-month deployment with Operation Caribbe, part of an American-led counter-narcotics mission off Central America and the Caribbean.
The Canadian Armed Forces says the drugs were discovered when a speedboat was approached and stopped by the crew of the Yellowknife and United States Coast Guard Cutter Kimball.
U.S. officials detained the crew of the small craft while a search of the vessel began.
"Through the use of destructive investigation procedures on the boat (drilling holes in the structure), 800 kilograms of cocaine was found," said National Defence spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin in an email.
U.S. authorities removed 150 kilograms of the contraband from the boat "before it became too unstable to remain afloat," Poulin said.
The vessel was scuttled along with its remaining cargo of 650 kilograms of cocaine.
"This was done to ensure the remaining contraband would not land on the streets of Canada or the U.S., and to ensure the vessel did not pose a hazard to navigation," the National Defence spokesperson said.
The U.S. Coast Guard declined to confirm the number of crew detained or their nationalities until the U.S. Attorney's Office had reviewed the case, a spokesperson said.
HMCS Yellowknife is currently under the command of Lt.-Cmdr. James Brun, a 17-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy, now on his fourth deployment with Operation Caribbe.
Brun said in a statement posted to his Twitter account after the seizure that he was "proud to have witnessed the professionalism and cohesion of our ship's company" working alongside the U.S. Coast Guard.
National Defence estimates the Canadian Forces have either seized or disrupted the trafficking of more than 112 tonnes of cocaine since the start of Operation Caribbe in 2006.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demand endowment transparency. But it's proving not to be simple
Over the last decade, students have pushed universities to cut financial ties with fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, tobacco companies and prison firms. Here's why it's not always that simple.