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Marijuana worth $3.8 million seized off Haiti by U.S. Coast Guard and Navy

Sailors with the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy hit the mother lode of narcotics when they stopped a boat that they thought was being used for drug smuggling on Thursday, authorities say.

About eight miles off Mole Saint-Nicolas, Haiti, Coast Guard members on the USS Billings intercepted the vessel.

The crew first asked permission from the Haitian government before the raid, the Coast Guard said. The boarding turned up about 3,200 pounds of marijuana, which is valued at an estimated $3.8 million.

A suspected smuggler, who was not identified, was arrested onboard.

The drugs and the man were turned over to Haitian authorities on Sunday, the Coast Guard said.

The USS Billings and U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a vessel about eight miles off Mole Saint-Nicolas, Haiti, seizing 3,200 pounds of marijuana valued at $3.8 million and detaining one suspect.
The USS Billings and U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a vessel about eight miles off Mole Saint-Nicolas, Haiti, seizing 3,200 pounds of marijuana valued at $3.8 million and detaining one suspect. U.S. Coast Guard

“In close coordination with the Haitian government, the U.S. Coast Guard remains steadfast in our shared mission to safeguard the maritime approaches of the Caribbean,” said Lt. Cmdr. Cory Arsenault, the Coast Guard liaison officer for Haiti, in a release. “Together, we are strengthening joint operations to disrupt the illegal flow of narcotics, protect vulnerable communities, and uphold the security and stability of the region.”

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Marijuana worth $3.8 million seized off Haiti by U.S. Coast Guard and Navy."

Devoun Cetoute
Miami Herald
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.
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