Watch the struggling turtle.
Video Credit: U.S. Coast Guard Verified account
A huge sea turtle rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard when it got entangled in a rope attached to packages filled with millions of dollars of cocaine on Tuesday.
Coast Guard Ens. Mark Krebs and his team caught the injured sea turtle after launching a small boat to investigate a debris field.
Commander Jose Diaz told NBC News no suspects found yet to the turtle’s ordeal and no-one have been arrested, but it seems that smugglers likely left the contraband in a hurry.
“They saw significant chaffing from the lines on his neck and flippers,” said the US Coast Guard.
“They briefed the commanding officer and went to work, carefully cutting the lines wrapped around the sea turtle and then eventually freeing him.
“The boat crew recovered over 75-feet of the line to prevent further entanglement of sea life and returned to the law enforcement mission recovering over 1,800 pounds of cocaine valued at over $53 million dollars from international waters.”
The struggling turtle was rescued during a 68-day counter-drug patrol by the US Armed Forces branch in the Eastern Pacific along the Central American coast.
After a successful operation, the crew had seized a total of 6,755 kilos (14,800lb) of cocaine, 14 pounds of marijuana and arrested 24 suspected smugglers.
“They probably felt the heat coming and got rid of it,” he said of the smugglers.
He continued, saying the turtle was likely entangled for about a day or two.
The turtle injured and had “significant chafing” its neck and flippers. The team rescued the marine carefully and cut the lines of the rope wrapped around it successfully and set it free.
In November, the University of Exeter released the results of a global survey that says hundreds of the animals dying every year after becoming entangled in plastic ocean pollution.
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