The Nation - News from May 10, 1987

A search for a missing diver off St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands led to the discovery of a Colombian fishing boat with 2,791 pounds of cocaine aboard, and a Coast Guard spokesman called the seizure the “largest bust ever.” Petty Officer 1st Class Reginald Reese said that the 28-foot vessel was seized and towed to Puerto Rico and its five Colombian crewmen were turned over to U.S. drug enforcement agents after the volunteer search team spotted the boat anchored in a cove and alerted the service. Reese put the potential street value of the cargo at $80 million. The missing diver was later found dead.