Navy recovers 4,900 lbs of marijuana

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - A Navy and Coast Guard team helped seize 91 bales of marijuana in the western Caribbean Sea worth more than $4 million.

The Coast Guard says a law enforcement detachment aboard the Norfolk-based USS Elrod recovered 4,900 pounds of marijuana on July 3 after suspected smugglers tossed it overboard from their speedboat.

A helicopter assigned to the Elrod fired warning shots at the speedboat until it stopped and the people on board put their hands up. Four suspected drug smugglers were detained by Costa Rican authorities.

The Elrod is participating in Operation Martillo, a multinational effort that targets drug-trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus.

In April, the Elrod seized more than $360 million in cocaine as part of the operation.