The U.S. Coast Guard says a national from the Dominican Republic has died after it opened fire on a boat carrying $11 million worth of cocaine that was trying to flee from authorities in the Caribbean Sea.
The Coast Guard eventually caught up with the boat and took two other suspected smugglers into custody – who now await federal prosecution – along with 385 kilograms (850 pounds) of cocaine.
"The critical homeland security missions the Coast Guard conducts every day as America's primary maritime law enforcement agency are inherently dangerous," Lt. Cmdr. John W. Beal, Coast Guard District Seven public affairs officer, said in a statement. "The Coast Guard takes any loss of life seriously and is working to investigate the incident in accordance with Coast Guard policy."
The incident began on Jan. 1, when a "U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment deployed aboard a U.S. Navy ship in the Caribbean Sea for a counter drug patrol identified a vessel suspected of smuggling narcotics and attempted to stop the vessel," the agency said.
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"The vessel failed to stop and Coast Guard District Seven authorized airborne use of force in accordance with policy, including warning shots and disabling fire, for a non-compliant vessel suspected of smuggling illicit narcotics in international waters," it continued.
When authorities stopped and boarded the craft, they discovered that "one of the crewmembers suffered an injury as a result of the use of force."
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The Navy and Coast Guard performed first aid on the individual before they were transferred to a Navy ship. A Navy helicopter then transported the crew member to a medical care facility in the Dominican Republic, where officials the next day declared the Dominican national dead from their injuries.
The Coast Guard reported the death on Thursday, days after it announced that Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell crew members recently intercepted over 2,450 pounds of cocaine valued at about $32.2 million in the Caribbean Sea.
Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
