The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded thousands of pounds of marijuana they seized on Christmas Eve.
The Coast Guard intercepted a go-fast vessel south of Jamaica, with an estimated 4,100 pounds aboard.
"This is the largest marijuana bust done by a fast-response cutter since they have been commissioned," said Coast Guard Lt. Breanna Hite.
Officials said an aircraft first spotted the suspicious vessel. While on routine patrol, the Coast Guard cutter diverted to intercept it.
Once aboard, Hite said the $3.7 million worth of pot was easy to spot.
"It was all out in the open and easily accessible," Hite said.
Four people aboard the vessel were detained without incident and brought to the Coast Guard base. That marijuana will be handed over to U.S. law enforcement officials.
U.S. & World
More than $320 million worth of drugs have been offloaded at the U.S. Coast Guard base on Miami Beach alone in 2014. Although the Coast Guard said most contraband seized out on the water is cocaine, marijuana smuggling remains prevalent.
"The U.S. Coast Guard takes marijuana just as seriously as any other drug out there," Hite said. "It is illegal for it to come to the United States."
