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Vessel linked to massive 2022 cocaine seizure searched again at Deep Water Port; seven crew members assisting investigators

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — For the second time in less than four years, the cargo vessel MV C Elizabeth, also reported as C-Elizabeth II, has come under scrutiny at the St. Kitts Deep Water Port following the reported discovery of cocaine and cannabis aboard the vessel.

According to reports, the vessel docked at approximately 9:00 a.m. on August 10, 2026, prompting a joint operation involving the St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard, the Customs and Excise Department’s K9 Unit and the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force Anti-Narcotics Unit.

During the search, authorities reportedly discovered one package containing cocaine and 12 packages of cannabis weighing approximately 12.515 pounds. The substances were reportedly concealed inside bags of dry coconut originating from St. Vincent.

The captain and six crew members — nationals of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago — were taken into custody to assist investigators. No conclusion regarding individual criminal responsibility should be drawn unless and until charges are formally laid and determined through the courts.

What makes the latest development particularly notable is the vessel’s history in St. Kitts.

On October 4, 2022, authorities conducted another joint search of the MV Elizabeth C at the Deep Water Harbour in Bird Rock after it arrived from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Officials discovered 800 kilograms of suspected cocaine along with more than 12 pounds of suspected cannabis concealed inside the walls of the vessel’s cabin.

Authorities at the time estimated the cocaine’s street value at approximately EC$71.28 million, equivalent to US$26.4 million. Five crew members were initially taken into custody.

The 2022 case later resulted in prison sentences for four men on various drug possession and importation offences. An official 2023 update placed the cocaine weight at approximately 801.3 kilograms and its street value at EC$71.369 million following subsequent processing of the case.

The latest reported discovery therefore places the same vessel back at the centre of a major law-enforcement investigation in St. Kitts.

Authorities have not yet publicly established who owned or controlled the narcotics discovered during the August 10 operation, nor has responsibility been attributed to any individual crew member in the information currently available.

Investigations remain ongoing.