500 Pounds of Cocaine Seized on Oil Tanker

Federal prosecutors said on May 22 that a Philippine national was arrested after U.S. authorities seized about 500 pounds of cocaine from an oil tanker that had sailed from Ecuador toward Southern California. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California identified the defendant as Ceasar Tubay Gelacio Jr., 43, and said he was charged by criminal complaint with importation of a controlled substance. Prosecutors said the cocaine was found aboard the Aquatravesia, a Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged tanker inbound to El Segundo. Court papers say the shipment was meant for a Mexican drug cartel. ### Who is accused, and what do prosecutors say he did? Ceasar Tubay Gelacio Jr., 43, of the Philippines, is accused of smuggling 227 kilograms of cocaine aboard the Aquatravesia after receiving the drugs in Ecuador, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors said he intended to distribute the cocaine to another party while the vessel was traveling past Mexico. (justice.gov) The criminal complaint alleges Gelacio possessed the cocaine inside the ship and that the narcotics were hidden in the vessel’s garbage room. The Justice Department said a complaint contains allegations and that a defendant is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court. ### How was the cocaine discovered on the tanker? (justice.gov) Crew members on the Aquatravesia found multiple packages in the garbage room that they suspected contained narcotics, according to the affidavit described by prosecutors. The ship’s captain then interviewed crew members and concluded Gelacio possessed the drugs, the Justice Department said. (justice.gov) The captain moved the packages to another room and notified U.S. authorities, according to the Justice Department and Maritime Executive’s account citing the U.S. Attorney’s Office. After the tanker reached the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex and anchored on May 21, U.S. agents boarded the vessel and recovered about 227 kilograms of cocaine. (justice.gov) ### What do court papers say about the alleged cartel handoff? May 14 and May 15 are the dates prosecutors say were set for a handoff in Mexican waters. According to the affidavit, the captain was told that small boats carrying armed cartel members would be waiting about 80 nautical miles from shore to take the drugs from the tanker. (justice.gov) The captain also reported receiving what he believed were radio calls from the cartel trying to hail the vessel before a boarding or takeover, prosecutors said. Court papers further allege that if the drugs were not delivered at the planned time, additional craft would wait in Mexican waters to board the tanker and recover the contraband. (justice.gov) ### What kind of ship was involved, and where had it come from? The Aquatravesia is described by prosecutors as a Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged oil tanker whose last port of call was Ecuador. Maritime Executive reported the crude oil tanker had departed Ecuador on May 8 and was northbound when the drugs were discovered. (justice.gov) El Segundo was the Southern California destination named by the Justice Department. U.S. law enforcement directed the tanker to proceed to the combined port of Los Angeles and Long Beach so officers could board it there, according to prosecutors. ### Which agencies handled the seizure, and what charges are next? (justice.gov) The Department of Homeland Security, working with the U.S. Coast Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, seized the cocaine after the tanker anchored in the Port of Los Angeles area, Maritime Executive reported, citing authorities. The outlet said a detection canine was used to confirm the drugs and search the vessel, and it valued the seized cocaine at about $6.4 million. (justice.gov) The Justice Department said Gelacio was scheduled to make his initial appearance on May 22 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Prosecutors said the charge of importation of a controlled substance carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum of life if he is convicted. (justice.gov) (maritime-executive.com)