serial seizures of narcotics in recent weeks

In the southeast of Martinique, a fishing vessel suspected of transporting drugs is followed for several hours by a helicopter and a navy frigate. The soldiers went on board, arrested its occupants and found 1,400 kg of cocaine on the boat. This is the third major seizure in just three weeks. On May 15, 2,400 kg of cocaine were seized from a Venezuelan fishing boat northeast of Martinique. Two weeks earlier, 1,200 kg were found on a sailboat.

The quantities are increasingly large. The drugs come from South America, heading to the United States, Europe and Africa, with the Antilles as a crossing point. “The quantities found are the tip of the iceberg”, estimates Clarisse Taron, public prosecutor of Fort-de-France (Martinique). Since the start of 2024, more than 14 tonnes of narcotics have been seized by the armed forces in the Antilles, i.e. 3 tonnes more than for the whole of 2023.