Filipino seafarer charged after quarter-ton cocaine haul found aboard US-bound aframax

The seizure followed a joint operation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the US Coast Guard aboard the aframax Aquatravesia after the vessel arrived at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. A narcotics detection dog alerted investigators to suspected contraband, leading officers to recover roughly 500 lb of cocaine from the ship.      Federal prosecutors have charged 43-year-old Ceasar Tubay Gelacio Jr., a citizen of the Philippines, with importation of a controlled substance. He was arrested after authorities boarded the vessel and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, US law enforcement received intelligence earlier this month that the Liberian-flagged tanker was heading to the United States carrying a substantial quantity of cocaine intended for delivery to a Mexican drug cartel. The vessel’s last port call was Ecuador.      Court documents allege the operation began to unravel after crew members discovered packages containing suspected narcotics hidden inside the vessel’s garbage room. The ship’s master subsequently interviewed crew members and allegedly identified Gelacio as being in possession of the drugs before securing the packages elsewhere onboard.    The complaint further alleges that cartel operatives planned to recover the cocaine while the tanker transited Mexican waters. According to investigators, the captain was informed that armed boats would attempt to rendezvous with the vessel about 80 nautical miles off the Mexican coast during a pre-arranged transfer operation. When the transfer did not take place, additional vessels were allegedly expected to intercept the tanker and retrieve the drugs. The captain also reported receiving radio calls believed to be from cartel members attempting to contact the ship.      Following the intelligence tip-off, US authorities directed the tanker to proceed to the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex, where federal agents and Coast Guard personnel conducted the boarding operation and recovered the cocaine. Investigators allege Gelacio received the drugs in Ecuador and intended to transfer them to another party while the vessel sailed north along the Pacific coast.      HSI Los Angeles special agent in charge Eddy Wang said the seizure underscored ongoing efforts to disrupt transnational criminal networks using commercial shipping routes to move narcotics into North America. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach commander Captain Stacey Crecy described the operation as an example of inter-agency cooperation aimed at protecting the maritime transportation system while allowing commerce to continue with minimal disruption.

The Aquatravesia is a 2017-built 113,000 dwt ship owned by Greece-based Unisea Shipping and, according to shipping databases, is operating on charter to Swiss commodities trader Mercuria. Neither company has been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the case.    The seizure forms part of a broader US crackdown on maritime drug trafficking. DHS said HSI seized more than 917,000 lb of cocaine during 2025, while the Coast Guard intercepted over 511,000 lb during the same period, more than three times its historical annual average.    The investigation remains ongoing. Prosecutors stressed that the criminal complaint contains allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.