Feds Seize 500 Pounds Of Cocaine On Tanker At Port Of Los Angeles
Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Coast Guard seized roughly 500 pounds of cocaine aboard the Motor Tanker Aquatravesia at the Port of Los Angeles on Thursday, May 21, 2026.[1]
A U.S. Coast Guard narcotics detection canine led agents to the stash, which weighed about 226 kilograms and is valued at roughly $6.4 million.[1] Crew member Ceasar Tubay Gelacio Jr., 43, of the Philippines, was arrested and charged with importation of a controlled substance.[1]
The Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged tanker had last departed from Ecuador, and an affidavit alleges the cocaine was intended for pickup by a Mexican cartel offshore around May 14-15.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Thursday, May 21, 2026, HSI and the U.S. Coast Guard boarded the Motor Tanker Aquatravesia at the Port of Los Angeles.
- A Coast Guard narcotics detection canine led agents to about 500 pounds (226 kilograms) of cocaine, valued at roughly $6.4 million.
- Crew member Ceasar Tubay Gelacio Jr., 43, of the Philippines, was arrested and charged with importation of a controlled substance.
- The tanker is Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged, last departed from Ecuador, and the affidavit alleges the cocaine was destined for a Mexican cartel pickup offshore Mexico around May 14-15.
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