LOS ANGELES (TNND) — A suspected drug smuggler was arrested after federal authorities found 500 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $6.4 million aboard an oil tanker headed to California, prosecutors said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said 43-year-old Ceasar Tubay Gelacio, Jr., of the Philippines, was charged with importation of a controlled substance, adding that the cocaine was “intended to be delivered to a Mexican drug cartel.”
Citing court documents, prosecutors said law enforcement officials received information that Aquatravesia, a Greek-owned and Liberian-flagged oil tanker, was headed to the U.S. carrying large quantities of drugs destined for a Mexican cartel.
Authorities said crew members later found “numerous packages hidden inside the ship’s garbage room that contained suspected cocaine.” Investigators said the ship’s captain questioned crew members and learned Gelacio brought the drugs onboard.
(Photo: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California)
“The captain was informed that while the Aquatravesia was in Mexican waters, small naval crafts with armed Mexican cartel members would be waiting 80 nautical miles from the shore on the evening of May 14 and the early morning of May 15,” according to a news release.
“If the drugs were not delivered at this time, additional crafts would be waiting in Mexican waters to board the oil tanker and recover the contraband,” the release noted. “The captain also reported receiving what he believed were radio calls from the cartel attempting to hail the Aquatravesia prior to a boarding or takeover.”
U.S. officials directed the Aquatravesia to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where federal agents boarded the vessel on Thursday and recovered the cocaine.
“This operation highlights Homeland Security Investigations’ unwavering commitment to combating transnational crime and safeguarding the United States from illicit narcotics,” Eddy Wang, who is the Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations, said in a separate release.
“HSI’s swift response and investigative expertise were instrumental in identifying and seizing over 226 kilograms of cocaine destined for our communities,” he added. “We remain dedicated to pursuing those who attempt to exploit our ports and transportation systems, and to working with our partners to disrupt criminal organizations that threaten public safety.”
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Gelacio faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and could face life behind bars if convicted.
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