Federal authorities say that that have arrested several people in connection with a massive cocaine shipment that was seized from a port in Philadelphia earlier today.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 16 and a half tons of cocaine were seized from a large ship at the Packer Marine Terminal on Tuesday, June 18.
WPVI reports that the ship was en route from Chile an unknown location when authorities received a tip on Monday night about the cocaine shipment.
Following a thorough search of the ship, authorities discovered the cocaine stowed away inside of eight shipping containers.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office estimates the street value of the cocaine at $1 billion.
Members of the ship’s crew were arrested and are facing federal charges.
U.S. Attorney William McSwain tweeted: “This is one of the largest drug seizures in United States history. This amount of cocaine could kill millions – MILLIONS – of people. My Office is committed to keeping our borders secure and streets safe from deadly narcotics.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania says that this is the largest drug bust in district history.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.