High-speed chase on the Pacific leads Mexican Navy to large load of cocaine

Smugglers dumped pounds of their illegal cargo into the ocean

PUERTO CHIAPAS, Mexico (KYMA, KECY) - A high speed chase across the Pacific Ocean led the Mexican Navy to a major load of drugs.

It happened Monday off the coast of southern Mexico south of Puerto Chiapas.

The Navy says it was chasing a suspected smuggling vessel when the crew started dumping bags overboard. The smaller ship got away, but the military got the drugs. Sailors recovered 39 bags filled with a white powder believed to be cocaine.

This portion of the Pacific is a major trafficking route for the South American drug cartels.