The U.S. Coast Guard made headlines on Wednesday with the announcement of a record-breaking haul of illicit drugs seized by a single cutter — an achievement made possible with the aid of a vertical drone called the MQ-35 V-BAT.

A Coast Guard spokesperson confirmed to Defense News that the information, first published by Business Insider , is accurate.

The Coast Guard Cutter Stone, a 418-foot national security cutter, unloaded an estimated 49,010 pounds of illicit narcotics at Port Everglades, Florida. The massive haul, valued at an $362 million, was the result of 15 seizure s made by the vessel, which used a V-BAT drone to assist in tracking down and intercepting drug smugglers at sea.

The V-BAT, developed by Shield AI , is a vertical drone with maneuverability, resistance to high

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