WORLD : U.S. Skirts Noriega, Seizes Cocaine
The Coast Guard has seized more than 1 1/2 tons of cocaine from a Panamanian freighter after receiving permission from officials of Panama’s deposed Delvalle government to search the vessel, officials said today.
Coast Guard Lt. Jeff Karonis said 10 people were arrested on board the vessel, the 180-foot Barlovento, in what he called one of the agency’s biggest cocaine seizures ever. The ship was en route from Tampico, Mexico, to the Dominican Republic.
U.S. authorities bypassed military ruler Manuel A. Noriega and gained approval to board the ship from the Washington embassy of the elected president he deposed in February, 1988, Eric Delvalle.
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