Drug seizures up off Latin America's Pacific coast

The U.S. Coast Guard says cocaine seizures off Latin America's Pacific coast have soared in 2015 to their highest levels in five years.

The Coast Guard, aided by the Navy, federal law enforcement agencies and the navies of allied nations, have seized 119,000 pounds of cocaine worth about US$1.8 billion over the past 10 months.

Authorities say that's more than the total amount of cocaine seized in fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014 combined.

Traffickers have been increasingly turning to the high seas to get their loads to U.S. markets, and skirt the tightened security on land at the U.S.-Mexico border