PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. – The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded about 54,500 pounds of cocaine and about 15,800 pounds of marijuana Thursday at Port Everglades.

The drugs are worth a total of about $1.06 billion.

It was the largest drug seizure for the Coast Guard Cutter James.

“We have collectively struck a significant blow to transnational criminal networks by removing 30 metric tons of drugs,” said Capt. Todd Vance, commanding officer of the USCGC James.

The drugs will never see American streets and the profits will never see the coffers of cartels after they were seized from multiple Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea interdictions over the past several months.

Video footage provided by the Coast Guard shows the dangers of the interdictions.

“It’s a very fast paced environment and once we get on a case and we have a go-fast that we’re going after, it’s very fast — everything happens pretty quickly,” said Coast Guard Operations Specialist Chelsea Pereira.

Pereira was part of the mission and is proud of the accomplishment and the service this seizure provides our country.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that we’re making a difference,” she said.