The Nation : 160-Ton Marijuana Bust

The Coast Guard arrested eight men and confiscated 160 tons of marijuana with a street value of $132 million from a tug and barge off the Virginia coast. The tug and barge carrying its cargo were expected to arrive today in Jacksonville, Fla., under heavy guard. Lt. (j.g.) David Cranking of the Coast Guard said a tip led to the seizure of the vessels about 500 miles off the Virginia coast. A Florida resident and seven Colombians aboard the tug Seamaid I and its barge were arrested. They were flying a Honduran flag, but Cranking said Honduran officials disavowed knowledge of the tug.