The Aressa was intercepted by a joint task force of the Coast Guard of Aruba, and the Colombian Navy in the early morning of Tuesday, February 25th. The ship was carrying more than five tons of high-pure cocaine, in 25 bales of 200 kilos each.
Initially, it was reported that the ship carried only one ton of cocaine, but later confirmed that the Aressa had more than five times that amount in it. The seizure is, perhaps, the largest ever in the Caribbean.
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Aruba media reported that the ship, which was flying the flag of the Central African country of Cameroon, was allegedly head for Greece after leaving the international port of Guaranao, in Punto Fijo, Falcon state. According to the MarineTraffic website, the ship sails at 4:57 p.m. on 23 February.
The number of arrests was not specified, although the media reported a crew of 10 onboard. The Aressa was built in 1978, has 42 years of service, and a capacity of 2,649 tons.
