Watch CBS News

Feds: Coast Guard Makes $20 Million Cocaine Bust Off Cape Cod

BOSTON (CBS/AP) — Federal prosecutors in Boston say two men face drug charges after the Coast Guard allegedly found them transporting about $20 million in cocaine on a sailboat in international waters about 500 miles east of Cape Cod.

The U.S. Attorney's office said 27-year-old Hicham Ramzi Nahra of Canada, and 49-year-old Benjamin Celma-Sedo of Spain, were charged in a criminal complaint Friday with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Prosecutors say the men had about 621 kilograms on the boat Callisto, bound for Montreal.

Both men were turned over to U.S. Marshals on Friday in Boston.

It's not immediately known if they have attorneys.

The Coast Guard Cutter Dependable found the 49-foot boat, carrying the name Elegrance and flying a Candian flag, on Monday. Canadian authorities discovered wasn't a Canadian vessel. Prosecutors say it was identified as Callisto, whose last port of call was Venezuela.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.