Video shows what $1 billion worth of drugs looks like

A special U.S. Coast Guard cutter returned on Monday from a four-month mission to unload a record haul of $1 billion worth of cocaine and heroin seized from narcotics smugglers at sea.

The 32 metric tons of cocaine and 2 tons of heroin were stacked on pallets at the bow of the new Coast GuardCutter Stratton, the lead ship among three vessels that took part in its maiden operation, which ran from April through July.

The contraband cargo being off-loaded from the Stratton at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego was seized during some 30 separate interdictions of drug-running vessels, including two submarines and dozens of small outboard-powered boats called pangas.

"Today you will see an off-load of over 32 metric tons of pure, uncut cocaine; the largest drug off-load in U.S. history. The wholesale value alone exceeds $1 billion," said Coast Guard Admiral Paul F. Zukunft.

"I'm not in the market of selling this, but trust me, on the street it would sell for much more," he added.

The 32 tons of pure uncut cocaine aboard the Stratton would be enough to produce street sales of the drug roughly equivalent to 33 million "lines" for snorting, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.