10 tons of pot dumped at sea near US-Mexico border

SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Navy says an aircraft carrier group recovered nearly 10 tons of marijuana dumped from small boats in the Pacific Ocean near California’s border with Mexico.

The Navy said Tuesday that two single-engine boats — each about 25 feet long — were spotted about 15 hours apart on Saturday. People aboard the boats began dumping plastic bags, and the boats escaped before authorities arrived.

Lt. Aaron Kakiel says no one was captured. The seizures occurred in international waters about 85 miles (137 kilometers) off the Mexican coast.

Authorities recovered about four tons of marijuana from the first boat and nearly six tons from the second. The carrier USS Nimitz and cruiser USS Princeton were assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican navy.