BELÉM, BRAZIL - The fishing vessel seized in the Atlantic with nearly 4 tons of drugs had been under surveillance by Brazilian and international intelligence agencies since April. Four people are being held in Belém on suspicion of international drug trafficking, and Brazil's Federal Police (PF) are investigating the case to identify additional suspects.

Federal Police investigators will expand the investigation and analyze the evidence seized, including the suspects' mobile phones, in an effort to identify those responsible for distributing the shipment.

After months of surveillance, the Brazilian Navy and the Federal Police intercepted the vessel in international waters, about 1,500 kilometers off the coast of the state of Pará, where officers found more than 100 packages of cocaine. The shipment, weighing 3,748 kilograms, was wrapped and concealed beneath the wooden fishing vessel.

Investigators believe the vessel was prepared in the state of Pará before departing for Guinea, on the west coast of Africa. However, authorities say the cocaine was loaded onto the vessel while it was en route.

"The vessel remained stationary in the open sea for a considerable period before continuing its voyage," said Lt. Cmdr. Thiago de Souza Pereira, commanding officer of the Brazilian Navy patrol vessel Bocaina. The Navy towed the fishing vessel from international waters to the port of Belém.

The seizure, carried out last week, was supported by U.S. authorities through intelligence sharing, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. agency responsible for combating drug trafficking, and the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South), a task force under the U.S. Southern Command.

Amazon Agency