BRIEFS. maritime

A ton of cocaine found on panamanian boat

One ton of cocaine was seized yesterday by the U.S. Coast Guard that was stored on a Panamanian-flagged fishing boat that also had a six-member crew from this country.

The seizure occurred some 80 nautical miles off the coast of Punta Arenas, Costa Rica, according to sources. The boat, which was not named by authorities, had departed last week from a port in Aguadulce, in the province of Coclé. After being intercepted Tuesday morning, the vessel began to fill with water. It sank after the cargo and the crew had been unloaded.

Officials plan to bring the drugs and the crew members to Panama, where judicial proceedings will be initiated. The sailors will be taken into custody upon their arrival in Panama.