Large cocaine haul seized from Haitian ship on Miami River

According to U.S. Customs officials, the 200-foot vessel, named Lisanne, traveled from Haiti to the Miami River and docked around 3300 North River Drive.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team gathered information that there were false compartments on board the ship. Once Customs and Border Protection officers from Field Operations Miami boarded the ship, they discovered around four hidden compartments welded into the deck.

Agents drilled small holes into the cargo hold cover. When they pulled their drills out, they found white powder.

They then made larger holes and uncovered about 2,000 pounds of cocaine. The operation continued into late Wednesday evening. “We found 400 bricks of narcotics … and then an additional 400 bricks [Wednesday],” said U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Dylan DeFrancisci.

Once the bricks of cocaine were discovered, they were placed on the deck of the ship. 7Skyforce hovered above the Lisanne as agents continued to remove the bricks from the ship.

The haul is one of the largest busts authorities have made in recent weeks. “When they do come in on the Miami River, [the shipments] are typically big,” said DeFrancisci.

It is unknown if any arrests were made. However, everyone on board was detained.

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