Maritime Smugglers Busted In Malibu With Over 1,000 Pounds Of Pot
Federal government officials seized over 1,000 pounds of marijuana from a Mexican panga boat beached at Malibu's Pirate's Cove on Friday night. Three male suspects were arrested, and sheriff's deputies are on the hunt for a fourth possible smuggler.
Spotted offshore in the Malibu area, the boat docked at Pirate's Cove at Point Dume, just east of Zuma Beach, at about 10:20pm. Border Patrol and sheriff's deputies were the first to respond, and "ICE Homeland Security Investigations is spearheading the ongoing investigation and will present the three suspects for federal prosecution on
Monday," Homeland Security spokeswoman Lori K. Haley told City News Service.
Aside from the trio of arrests, an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 pounds - up to 50 bales - of marijuana was discovered aboard the vessel. Pangas are Mexican fishing boasts, usually 25 to 30-feet long, powered by one or two outboard motors and without cabins.
A Coast Guard helicopter hovered over the cove for most of the night. Deputies combed the gardens and side yards of mansions along Cliffside Drive - an area boasting some of Malibu's priciest real estate during early morning daylight hours. Morning parkgoers at Point Dume State Reserve were hastily shooed away by investigators who told them they were in danger. Deputies called off the search at 10am Saturday without finding the additional suspect. It is unclear as to whether or not the fourth suspect escaped or "if he was a nonexistent product of confusion in the crashing surf and rocks of Point Dume State Beach on a very-dark night," says CNS.
Deputies explained calm seas and a moonless night set the scene for the perfect opportunity to slip in along coastal rocks. However, eluding powerful radar detecting northbound boat traffic from Mexican waters is an almost impossible feat.
