Authorities said cocaine valued at more than $1 million combined has been found with shipments of bananas at three Safeway grocery stores in Washington state—Woodinville, Bellingham, and Federal Way.
The sheriff’s office said the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is assisting with the office’s investigation, which is ongoing.
That same day, police in Bellingham said Safeway grocery store employees found about 51 pounds of cocaine while unloading bananas. Bricks of cocaine were hidden under a pile of bananas in the boxes.
They said the workers immediately called 911 and officers seized the drugs.
“It was very likely a mistake made,” Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy told KOMO. “This shipment was definitely not meant to come to these stores.”
Officials said the bananas came from a Safeway warehouse in Auburn, which is in King County.
At the Federal Way location, the King County Sheriff’s Office said cocaine was discovered with bananas by Safeway employees at the store. Komo reported that the cocaine was about 2.2 pounds, or 1 kilo, which authorities said has a street value of $25,000.
Coast Guard Seizes Submarine Containing Cocaine
The U.S. Coast Guard has released video of service members jumping onto a moving submarine during a dramatic cocaine bust worth $232 million.One guardsman repeatedly calls out in Spanish: “Stop your boat now!”
Crew members then jump onto the top of the mostly submerged vessel as it cuts through the waves before prying open the hatch, revealing a suspect with his hands raised before the video cuts out.
The Associated Press reported that 39,000 pounds of cocaine and 933 pounds of marijuana were seized from the vessel. The narcotics had an estimated street value of $232 million.
The bust was one of 14 operations spanning two months that targeted drug smugglers off the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Fifty-five smuggling suspects were taken into custody, reported AP.
The Coast Guard said it has increased its U.S. and allied presence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off of Central and South America, as part of its Western Hemisphere Strategy to stem the flow of illicit drugs to American communities.