Nation in Brief : FLORIDA : Coast Guardsmen, Smuggling Linked

Coast Guardsmen in the Florida Keys have worked for cocaine smugglers, selling codes and disabling patrol boats, a television report alleged. At least 15 guardsmen assigned to the Islamorada, Fla., station worked for or with the smugglers they were assigned to catch, NBC-TV’s “Expose” show reported. Adm. Paul Yost Jr., Coast Guard commandant, said he was unaware of any federal investigation of cocaine involvement in the Coast Guard, NBC said. However, Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Karonis, spokesman for the Coast Guard’s southeastern district, said the Coast Guard had put an end to the alleged conspiracy in 1988. “The Coast Guard people involved were brought to justice and are in jail right now. The system works and they’re paying for it,” Karonis said after viewing the broadcast.