French frigate seizes 320 kg of cannabis off the Grenadines
The French surveillance frigate Ventôse intercepted an unmarked fishing boat west of the Grenadines on 23 January 2023 and recovered 320 kg of cannabis from bales jettisoned by its crew. The crew was taken into custody, with the drugs slated for destruction under international drug-trafficking rules.
🇻🇨 west of the Grenadines, Caribbean Sea · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The French surveillance frigate Ventôse intercepted a suspect fishing boat on
the high seas west of the Grenadines on 23 January 2023.[1]The interception
occurred during a Caribbean maritime surveillance patrol when the frigate closed
on the suspicious vessel.[1]French sailors recovered 12 bales holding a total
of 320 kg of cannabis herb that tested positive after recovery.[2]The French
sailors took the fishing vessel’s crew into custody.[2]
The fishing boat had no identification marks and did not respond to radio
messages.[2]As the navy surveillance frigate approached, the fishing vessel’s
crew threw about twenty bales into the water, twelve of which tested positive
for cannabis after being recovered.[2]
The seized cannabis was to be destroyed in the presence of French authorities
under international law.[2]The vessel’s identification documents established
its provenance and links to a cross-border trafficking network, but the ministry
did not publicly disclose that provenance.[1]
Photos and video
Headline photo of the drug seizure at sea, credited to the Forces armées aux Antilles. Photo: Forces armées aux AntillesPhoto details
The number of crew members taken into custody was not published, so no arrested figure is recorded.
The vessel's provenance and flag were not publicly disclosed, so the map point is an approximate high-seas location west of the Grenadines.
No court outcome, charges or later disposition of the crew were reported beyond custody and referral under international procedures.
The 23 January 2023 incident date rests on the RCI account's explicit dating; the St. Lucia Times gives only Monday with a 26 January publication date.
A later English-language account mentions 324 kg and 10 suspects, but it was not opened as evidence and its differing figures are not used.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in RCI: French officials described the operation as the first drug seizure of 2023 by the Armed Forces in the Antilles and as a sign of their determination to keep fighting Caribbean drug trafficking.
Police arrested and charged 36-year-old labourer Julian Williams of Cane Garden after allegedly finding 37,228 grammes of cannabis in his possession on 21 October 2026. He pleaded not guilty at the Serious Offences Court on 22 October and received EC$10,000 composite bail with weekly reporting and travel restrictions until 23 November.
Police charged two farmers and a delivery clerk over 80,812 grammes of cannabis resin allegedly found in Largo Height. All three pleaded not guilty at the Serious Offences Court and received $20,000 ECC bail each until 19 November 2026.
Joel Williams, 23, was found with multiple gunshot wounds at the CANNASVG farm in Georgetown after police answered an intrusion call at around 12:10 am. A second intruder escaped; police say they do not know who shot him and no arrests have been made.
The St Vincent Coast Guard intercepted a yacht in Vincentian waters and seized 400 lbs of marijuana. Three men — a Grenadian, a Vincentian and a British national — were held and were expected to face drug-related charges in a Vincentian court.
