Four Colombians were taken into custody on drug-trafficking charges and 2,200 pounds of cocaine - valued at $66 million - was seized in the Feb. 6 incident in international waters about 40 miles off Panama.

It was unclear whether the drugs had been bound for the United States.

The 40-foot boat Victoria was stopped by the Navy frigate USS Ford, which carried a Coast Guard detachment. Before Coast Guardsmen boarded the boat, the Victoria suddenly turned toward the frigate, forcing the ship to take "radical evasive maneuvers" to avoid a collision, authorities said.

Those aboard Victoria also pumped water into the engine room in an apparent attempt to sink the boat, authorities said.

The boat's master claimed to have 300 pounds of fish on board but then said it had been discarded, according to the Coast Guard. There were no fishing poles or lines aboard.

The 50 bales of cocaine were found in a compartment behind a bulkhead that had been freshly painted.

U.S. authorities can stop and board vessels on the open ocean if they are not flying a country's flag, as in this case, authorities said.

Also, most Latin American countries have treaties with the United States that permit boarding and searches of vessels flying their flags in international waters.

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