A US Coast Guard crew based in Boston seized more than 1,360 pounds of cocaine – with an estimated street value of more than $20 million – from a sailboat 460 miles from the US coast, authorities said.
The 49-foot vessel, Elegance, was heading for Montreal when it was intercepted, authorities said.
Two people were arrested. Hicham Ramzi Nahra, 27, of Canada, and Benjamin Celma-Sedo, 49, of Spain, were charged in US District Court in Boston with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
The Coast Guard cutter Dependable stopped the vessel Monday.
After receiving permission from the Canadian government to board the vessel, Coast Guard crew allegedly found 23 large, heavy plastic mesh bags each containing 25-to-27-kilogram, brick-shaped packages of cocaine.
Nahra and Celma-Cedo each face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
