US authorities seized $6.4 million worth of cocaine aboard an oil tanker in Los Angeles and arrested a suspected smuggler.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the US Coast Guard have seized approximately $6.4 million worth of cocaine from a crude oil tanker docked at the Port of Los Angeles, leading to the arrest of a suspected drug smuggler allegedly linked to a Mexican cartel operation.
The seizure was announced on May 22, 2026, following a joint boarding operation aboard the Motor Tanker Aquatravesia, a Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker that had arrived in California after departing from Ecuador.
Federal prosecutors identified the arrested suspect as Ceasar Tubay Gelacio Jr., 43, a Philippine national charged with importation of a controlled substance. Authorities allege Gelacio was responsible for coordinating the transportation of the narcotics aboard the vessel.
According to investigators, Coast Guard narcotics detection dogs alerted officers to suspicious cargo during the inspection. Authorities later discovered approximately 500 pounds, or 226 kilograms, of cocaine concealed aboard the tanker. Officials estimated the street value of the drugs at roughly $6.4 million.
Court documents allege the cocaine shipment originated in Ecuador and was intended for delivery to a Mexican drug cartel while the vessel traveled through waters near Mexico. Prosecutors said crew members aboard the tanker discovered hidden packages in the ship’s garbage room before informing the vessel’s captain.
Investigators further alleged cartel members planned to retrieve the cocaine from the tanker approximately 80 nautical miles offshore while the vessel was in Mexican waters. Authorities claimed the captain later received radio communications from cartel operatives attempting to coordinate the narcotics transfer.
Following intelligence received by US authorities, the vessel was directed to continue toward the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where federal agents boarded and secured the shipment. Two additional individuals were reportedly detained as part of the broader investigation.
HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang said the operation demonstrated the agency’s ongoing efforts to combat transnational organised crime and prevent narcotics from entering US communities. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach commander Capt. Stacey Crecy described the seizure as the result of coordinated action between maritime and federal enforcement agencies.
If convicted, Gelacio could face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing as investigators continue examining potential cartel connections and maritime smuggling routes linked to the operation.
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Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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