WILLEMSTAD – On Sunday Evening, the Coast Guard detected a suspicious vessel at sea near Curaçao.

The Coast Guard’s Maritime Operations Center immediately dispatched a Metal Shark patrol boat toward the suspect vessel after detecting the contact. A Coast Guard aircraft was also sent to the scene to assess the situation.

Once on site, the crew of the Coast Guard aircraft spotted a suspicious vessel heading toward Curaçao. The patrol boat intercepted the vessel and escorted it to the Coast Guard dock for a thorough onboard inspection. During the search, over 25 kilograms of cocaine were discovered, along with three firearms and ammunition.

The Venezuelan man aboard the boat was handed over to the Curaçao Police Corps (KPC) along with the seized weapons, drugs, and ammunition. The drugs have since been destroyed.