2019 Philadelphia Packer Marine Terminal cocaine seizure

On June 18, 2019, federal authorities seized 39,525 pounds or nearly 20 tons of cocaine[1][2][3] at the Port of Philadelphia's Packer Marine Terminal. The street value of the drugs is estimated at $1.3 billion dollars.[4][3] According to the US Attorney's Office it was the largest seizure in the history of the DA's Office of Eastern Pennsylvania. The Mediterranean Shipping Company's container ship, the MSC Gayane (IMO number 9770763), was heading from Chile to Europe with previous stops in Peru, Colombia and the Bahamas.[1] Six members of the crew were arrested.[2] [5][6][7][1] The seizure is the largest cocaine seizure in U.S. Customs and Border Protection's 230-year history, the largest cocaine seizure in US history,[8] and fourth largest worldwide.[9][2]

MSC Gayané in July 2019

The MSC Gayane was met by law enforcement vessels and boarded by about a dozen federal agents while heading into the Delaware Bay. The ship was escorted into the Port of Philadelphia's Packer Marine Terminal. Once docked, the authorities found nearly 20 tons of cocaine. Eight members of the crew have been charged in the arrest. The vessel MSC Gayane was seized by the US Attorney General and the Mediterranean Shipping Company has posted a $50 million dollar bond to gain the release of the vessel.[10]

References
  1. "16.5 tons of cocaine worth $1 billion seized at Philadelphia port". 6abc Philadelphia. 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  2. "Authorities unveil stacks of seized cocaine after Philadelphia port bust". 6abc Philadelphia. 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  3. Silverman, Hollie. "Record cocaine seizure at Philadelphia terminal weighed nearly 20 tons -- or 39,525 pounds". CNN. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
  4. Staff, NBC10. "$1 Billion Philly Coke Bust Largest in U.S. Customs History". NBC 10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  5. Tacopino, Joe (2019-06-18). "Feds seize $1 billion worth of cocaine in massive Philadelphia drug bust". New York Post. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  6. "Over $1 Billion Worth Of Cocaine Seized At Philadelphia Port, U.S. Attorney's Office Says". 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  7. Staff, NBC10; York, Jonathan Dienst of NBC4 in New. "$1 Billion in Cocaine Seized at Philly Port, Officials Say". NBC 10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  8. "Cocaine haul from ship grows, arrests now stand at 6". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  9. Berman, Nat (2018-03-19). "The 20 Largest Drugs Seizures in World History". Money Inc. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  10. Paris, Costas. "Inside Shipping's Record Cocaine Bust". WSJ. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
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