Pubdate: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News (CO) Copyright: 2002, Denver Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/371 COAST GUARD RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO WITH 1 TONS OF MARIJUANA A Coast Guard crew returned to port Wednesday with more than 1 tons of marijuana that was abandoned in the Pacific Ocean by smugglers off the coast of Mexico. The Coast Guard cutter Steadfast, based in Astoria, Ore., was patrolling international waters Jan. 26 when it came upon a 30-foot powerboat with three men on board and what appeared to be several hundred bales of marijuana. As the Coast Guard pursued the smaller boat, the men threw the bales overboard. After a seven-hour chase, the smugglers escaped and were last seen heading toward Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The Coast Guard recovered a total of 3,572 pounds of marijuana from the sea and turned it over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth