Billion dollar cocaine bust

In a jaw-dropping strike against international drug trafficking, the Jamaica Defence Force's Maritime Air and Cyber Command has intercepted a massive shipment of cocaine worth nearly $1.4 billion just off the coast of St Elizabeth.

On Saturday, JDF First District Coast Guard patrols spotted a high-speed "go-fast" vessel about 10 nautical miles southeast of Treasure Beach, seemingly on a mission to smuggle drugs onto mainland Jamaica. What followed was a tense and meticulously executed operation that would stun law enforcement across the region.

JDF personnel boarded the vessel and uncovered a staggering 2,544.404 kilogrammes of cocaine carefully packed into 99 bundles, alongside 18 fuel drums. The vessel itself had three outboard engines, and other suspicious paraphernalia. Three individuals were immediately detained in connection with the haul.

The seizure and the suspects were turned over to the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division for further investigation.

The largest seizure of cocaine recorded in Jamaica took place in 2024, when 2,526 kilogrammes or just over 5,569 pounds, with an estimated street value of just over US$75 million or J$12 billion was found in Havendale, St Andrew.