U.S. Coast Guard reels in 10,000 pounds of cocaine from fishing boat in Atlantic

A U.S. Coast Guard crew seized roughly 10,000 pounds of cocaine from a fishing boat in the Atlantic Ocean, the agency said on Monday. The haul was worth an estimated $74 million.

The drug seizure took place in mid April, after the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Calhoun identified what the agency described as a suspicious fishing vessel some 1,200 miles west of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Sailing through international waters, the boat's behavior raised alarms about narcotic trafficking, according to the Coast Guard, which sent a small cutter to intercept it and ultimately found the contraband on board.

Five suspected smugglers were apprehended and are in U.S. custody, the Coast Guard said.